Wings of an Angel
by phoenix catcher
Summary: Discontinued. Harry/Warren. Mutant:Harry. Harry, learning his true form after his 17th birthday, is forced to flee the Wizarding World and to the US where he lands in the middle of another war on a much deadlier scale.
1. Changes

Wings of an Angel

Disclaimer; This is a Harry Potter/X-men cross over set before Harry's final year at Hogwarts and just before 'The Last Stand.' I obviously don't own either of the above mentioned items. Oh, this will be Slash, sorry to all of you that don't like that, but it's a integral part of the story. It wont be graphic though so please don't worry or shirk the story because of that.

Chapter 1; Changes

**Hogwarts Hospital Wing**

Harry didn't groan when he woke, and that one unconscious decision changed his life from that point onwards. He looked around the ward but his view was obstructed by the white shroud that surrounded his bed, blocking off his view of the ward even though it's task was to hide him from view. He assessed his own health like he had learnt to over this summer ever since it had happened on his birthday.

_Flashback_

_Harry as always was waiting up for midnight on July the Thirty-first, waiting for the annual letters that he always received on his birthday. But he didn't know that this year he'd never get the opportunity to read any of those letters or open his presents. At the instant that he turned seventeen his mind went blank as he lost all control over his body. For the first time that summer he didn't dream of anything._

_He woke late the next morning feeling absolutely exhausted and realising the time struggled out of bed. He walked over to his wardrobe to scrounge out some clothes for the day and stopped short as an image in the mirror on his wall caught his eye. For one he was no longer wearing the shirt he had fallen asleep in, well in fact that wasn't entirely true, part of his cuffs were still in tack on his wrists. He pulled them off and with a gasp noticed the flash of white behind him. He span round slightly and nearly fainted with shock at the sight. Two wings sat against the skin of his back._

_He tried to get them to move but nothing happened. He frowned as he reached behind him to feel the feathers and realised that in actuality they had a slight silvery tinge to them. He was so amazed at the sight, even if he couldn't use them, that he didn't hear the footsteps coming up towards his room. He jumped in shock however when his door was opened so fast that it bounced off the wall, leaving a sizable chunk of the wall plaster missing._

"_Boy!" His uncle yelled even as Harry jumped sideways. "Why aren't you." He paused as he caught sight of the wings on Harry's back. "What the hell are those?"_

_Harry couldn't think of anything to say and instead took a step backwards._

"_Is that some freakishness from your freaky world?" Vernon was going purple. "No wait. You one of those Mutants the news keeps going on about. Those ones that attacked the American President."_

_Harry hadn't even thought that his new wings were anything other than magic, but now, as he looked at his furious Uncle in shock, it all made sense. He had read in the papers and even managed to watch the Muggle News reports about Mutants. His parents had never had wings in any of the photos so it cant have been hereditary. Being a mutant was the only explanation._

_Harry felt the hit before he realised that Vernon had closed the gap while he had been having his epiphany and had smacked him across the face. Neither noticed but as Vernon pulled back his fist to deliver another punch, Harry's new wings twitched as if to try to span out._

"_We've put up with your freakishness for too long. But this is too far." Vernon paused in his verbal diatribe to deliver such a heavy blow onto Harry's shoulder that his vision started to cloud with pain as he nearly blacked out. "The American's might be all lovey-dovey with those mutants now but I wont roll over that easily."_

_Harry woke up late in the evening after the beating he had received from his own Uncle._

_End Flashback._

Harry had spent the last three weeks between practicing with his rapidly growing wings in the confines of his room, where they couldn't even open fully after only a few days, and recovering from the frequent beatings from Vernon. After that first twitch of his wings he slowly managed to command them but he realised soon after that he would have to build up the muscles in his back in order to flap them properly. He had only used his wings properly once and that was to glide from his rooms window when Voldermort and his Death Eaters had attacked. He'd been forced to run from the Death Eaters since Vernon had destroyed his beloved wand but when faced with Voldermort he had done the only thing he could think of, he'd punched the man in the face.

He smiled faintly at the memory that wasn't even a few hours old. His lifelong enemy had screamed bloody murder as soon as Harry's fist had connected and seeing the pale look on Voldermort's face, Harry had grabbed the mans face and felt the power flowing through his body which, not really knowing what was happening, he directed against Voldermort before just holding on for dear life, ignoring the injuries he was receiving from cutting curses from the few Death Eaters around.

Harry had blacked out after that. The only thing that he could think of now was that he had somehow turned Voldermort's own magic against him. That's what his instincts told him at any rate and he had learned to trust them. Harry sighed and let his head drop heavily into the pillow, but his peace didn't last long as the door to the wing opened.

"Hermione!" Ron's voice whispered fiercely. "He's a mutant know, we cant trust him."

Harry could have sworn his heart stopped in that instant. Was Ron channelling his Uncle Vernon or something?

"He's still Harry in some part." Harry knew Hermione meant well but her worlds pained him almost as much as Ron's had.

"You heard what he did to You-Know-Who!" Ron's voice raised in volume. "He turned a wizards' power against him."

"It was You-Know-Who!" Hermione protested. "Anyone would have done the same thing. Mutant or not, this is still his world."

"It's not though, Hermione." Ron argued. "He isn't even a Wizard anymore! Pomfrey says that when his mutant side came out his core magic was destroyed."

"But he's Harry. He used to be your best friend." Hermione stammered out.

"He was never the person we knew. He was always a mutant. His magic was just covering it up but now that his mutation has come out on top he might as well be just a squib!" Ron spat. There was a long pause and Harry held his breath.

"I suppose you're right." Hermione whispered almost too quietly to hear but it still felt like a stab straight through his heart. He needed to get out of here and soon. He rolled out of the bed, glad to see that nobody had bothered to remove the jeans that he had been wearing that yesterday evening. He hadn't worn a shirt since his birthday and they had obviously not bothered to try to get one over his three-quarters grown wings.

Unfortunately he managed to knock a tray off of the bedside table with his wings making Hermione squeak in surprise. Ron slammed open the curtain just as Harry straightened up.

"What are you doing awake?" Ron demanded, "You're supposed to be in a spelled sleep!"

"Why, Ron?" Harry snarled, "Concerned for my well being?"

"Don't be sarcastic with me you mutant." Harry tried not to blanch at his tone so he did the only thing he could think of, he turned to the side and tried to leave. "You're not going anywhere till the Aurors come and get you!" Ron snarled as he stepped in his way.

"I just killed Voldermort and you're going to have me arrested for being a mutant?" Harry stammered out in disbelief, and turned squarely on Hermione. "And you're just going to stand there and let this crap go on. You, who petitioned House Elf treatment when they didn't want it?" To his amazement Hermione just glared at him.

Harry didn't need this, he tried to get passed Ron but Ron just got in his way again, keeping him away and still by heavily pushing against Harry's bare chest with the palm of his hand. Harry's eyes went wide as Ron paled and tried to pull his hand back, but it was too late as the connection had already been made. Harry felt Ron's magic swirling beneath his skin and he realised with a shock that it was leeching across from Ron's hand and into Harry's chest.

Harry ripped Ron's hand away from him and ran passed him as Ron slumped against the bed. He didn't even turn when a spell streaked passed him from Hermione's wand. He pushed through the balcony doors and with a brief look at Hermione's furious and disgusted look, a look that he would always remember, he jumped off of the ledge and disappeared into the night.

Harry's untrained wing muscles couldn't carry him any further than a few miles but even that far amazed him, though the pain of knotted muscles in his back was enough that when he finally succumbed to the pain and landed he almost instantly fell asleep, his wings curled around him protectively.

**Three days later**

It had been a hard task to travel all the way south to London but with a combination of flying practice and landing on trains he had done it and worked up the muscles in his wings.

He collapsed violently in the middle of Diagon Alley in the dull light that only occurred during a summer morning before the sun had broken over the horizon. There was nobody about as he had hoped so he made his way to his destination; Gringotts.

A day-old newspaper smacked lightly into his leg and he grabbed the loosened front page as he walked.

'**Boy-who-lived escapes custody still.**

**Harry Potter, 17, mutant, still eludes searches by Aurors and well-renowned Order of the Phoenix members. Harry Potter who lost his heritage as a wizard when the truth of his condition became apparent on his 17th birthday, has proven that mutants are a plague on the Wizarding world. The fact that Harry Potter now no longer appears on magical sensors proves that the mutant population is a threat to our Wizarding lives.**

**Us at the Daily Prophet agree whole-heartedly with Ministry officials in that Albus Dumbledore, may he rest in peace, was wrong to trust such a creature with our future. We would also like to warn all of our readers that if they see Harry Potter that they should not approach him but to call the Ministry and Aurors as soon as possible. His mutant ability to drain the power from a person, as he did to Ronald Weasley during his escape, or turn that power against someone, like he did to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, are both a real threat and we beg you to be careful that this loose cannon does not become a threat to you or your family.**

**Muggle authorities have been warned of Harry Potter's duplicity and if you cannot inform the magical authorities. . .'**

Harry threw the paper aside with disgust, the Wizarding world could do without him now and he especially couldn't be around them if they wanted his head on a pike to parade around in front of the populace. He needed to get out and that was why he was now walking up stone steps to the entrance of Gringotts.

He paused at the locked door trying to decide whether to knock and risk the wrath of the goblins or wait till they opened and risked the wrath of the Wizards. He sighed as he rested his head on the cooling steel doors and was shocked when they creaked open slowly. A small hand reached out and grabbed the side of his jeans and dragged him in before the door was closed again.

"Mr. Potter, you shouldn't stand around in plain sight like that." The Goblin guard admonished him. "We've been looking out for you for the last three days."

"What?" Harry asked in surprise. "Why are you helping me?"

"We've been looking after the gold of the Wizarding World for thousands of years Mr. Potter." Said an older looking Goblin who had come up behind whilst he was questioning the guard who no slunk back to his place next to the door. "We know how they think and how they will always want someone to blame. Once you disappear they will undoubtedly look for you. We want to help you with that."

"Who are you?" Harry asked.

"I am Griznar, the Potter Family account manager. My family has always watched over you financial situation. And also looked after your legal problems." Griznar told him.

"My legal problems?" Harry asked confused.

"Indeed, did you know that the Ministry of Magic has been on at us to release your vaults and processions into their control ever since you killed Voldermort and this isn't the first time they have tried either." Griznar smirked.

"When did they try before?"

"When you were placed with the Dursley's against your parents will they tried to seize control of your assets." The goblin told Harry as they strolled across the vast, yet empty, chamber and down a small corridor.

"Is it true that they cant track me anymore?"

"Without your magic all of the spells cant 'see' you. Not only that but your mutant powers wont let any tracking spell work either." Griznar smiled a toothy smile. "Trust me, we've been trying to find you for days."

"Why did you need to find me so badly?"

"You see, the Potter family is a very old family. Far older than the Wizarding world realises. One of your ancestors helped to found Gringotts in the first place." Griznar informed Harry making his mouth drop open before it snapped closed with a snap. "Part of your estate is quite a few shares in this bank. So it was in our best interest to help you out."

"Did the Ministry know this?" Harry asked.

"Unfortunately that is one of the family secrets that they do know."

"Is that why they wanted my assets?" Harry asked as it clicked into place. "To get shares in Gringotts."

"Yes, that and the money they would gain."

"How much are we talking about here?" Harry asked.

"As I said before the Potters are a very old family. I'd have to consult a few of the other Account members to get an exact value and it would take a few weeks but at the moment the vaults hold in the region of six billion pounds sterling."

"You've got to be joking!" Harry's wings twitched at the shock.

"I'm not joking, Mr. Potter." Griznar smirked in that strange way that goblins had.

"You don't pay interest on that do you?"

"Fortunately for Gringotts we do not." Griznar told him, "When the account was first opened interest wasn't an issue. At the moment the vaults gain a percentage of Gringotts profit which is automatically put in the vault."

"What percentage?" Harry asked, though he knew he wouldn't have a clue about the figures he had to admit he was intrigued.

"One percent of the profit." Griznar admitted.

"That much? That must be an astronomical amount." Harry gasped.

"Not compared to the value of your other estates." Griznar told him, "How about we get down to the reason you are here?"

"I was just going to get out as much money as I could or transferred into a Muggle account so that I could leave the Wizarding world." Harry informed his account manager.

"Well, the Potters already have quite a few Muggle bank accounts, I can get you the access information for them before you leave. That should take care of all of your money troubles. We can easily hold off your legal problems with the Ministries for you." Griznar told Harry as he poured Harry a drink of Butterbeer, "I'll get a list of Muggle contacts for you for the more important companies that you own that will help you get around."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked before he realised what was implied in that statement, "You mean I own companies?"

"Yes, Mr. Potter. Your family owns several companies. Including train lines, estate agents, private schools, private hospitals, airlines. Almost every niche of the economical world." Griznar smirked again. "I'll give you a list of contacts in as many of these as I think useful to your disappearing attempt."

"What about secrecy?" Harry asked, finding the catch. "The Muggle world are looking for me as well aren't they?"

"Your business transactions in the Muggle World still use the old family name of Bennett, you can leave the Potter name behind you and legally take that name. The Potters have always been able to keep the existence of that name a secret. The Ministry wouldn't have a clue."

They chatted about the specifics for a few hours until Diagon officially opened at eight and Harry decided he needed to leave.

"What about the items in the vaults?" Harry asked. "That's an easy one. You own a storage company in both England and America, if you go to your storage locker in either then you will be magical transported to a secret room just behind that portrait. The portrait will inform me of you presence immediately." Griznar informed him, "For the meantime I took the liberty of sending one of our human assistants to a clothing store yesterday to find a full length trench coat that you can use to hide your wings."

Harry thanked the goblin as he accepted the leather coat. Griznar continued. "Our spell masters have enchanted it to restrain your wings when it is worn and if you squeeze this button on the cuff it will shrink down so you can put it in your pocket. Don't worry about shrinking it whilst your wearing it, it will just take itself off and land in you hand."

"I really don't know how to thank you." Harry smiled, "How am I going to get out of here now?" Harry asked thinking about the number of wizards that must be in the street with only a few days till Hogwarts opened again.

"I don't think that will be a problem. Nobody will expect you to walk straight through Diagon Alley, and besides I don't think anyone will recognise you unless they know you well." Griznar told him.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"I doubt you've had a chance to look at yourself lately but you've gone through a few changes. Your loss of magic has dulled you eye colour to a forest green, your hair is tinged silver, probably to match your wings and more importantly your scar has vanished. Something that the Daily Prophet hasn't reported to anyone." Griznar smirked again as he showed Harry, now cloaked in the restricting trench coat, out of his office and into the main chamber. "Just avoid using your family name and don't talk to anyone other than those on the list when you use your contacts."

"Thank you for this Griznar," Harry smiled. "I hope to see you soon."

Griznar offered his hand and Harry without thinking about it took it, instantly regretting it as Griznar went pale. Harry released the hand. "Oh God, Griznar, I'm so sorry!"

"Don't worry, Mr. Bennett, you're not used to it yet. Don't worry, it was just draining, not painful. I'll be fine in a few minutes." Griznar yawned slightly, "How do you feel?"

"I don't feel any different really." Harry paused. "I think that I could have used your magic while I was touching you."

"I don't doubt it," Griznar quieted his voice. "That is what you did to Voldermort after all."

Harry left soon after making sure that his Account Manager would be ok. He sighed as he left the room, does that mean he could never touch another person again. Would he always just suck out their power. Would that happen with Muggles as well. Would he always be alone?

A/N; What do you think? This idea has been bugging me ever since I went to see 'The Last Stand' at the cinema. I hope you like the start. Let me know what you think please.


	2. Meeting the Angel

Wings of an Angel

Chapter 2; Meeting the Angel

Harry walked one of the tall apartment blocks of Guildford after taking the train from London. The porter took one look at his black leather jacket and frowned before looking behind him at a rich couple who had just gotten out of a limo.

"Mr. Comphrey I presume?" Harry snapped as he was ignored. The man's head snapped back so fast that Harry was sure he had heard a crack. "I believe Martin Ganohue called you a few hours ago?"

"Mr. Bennett?" Harry nodded sharply, the man pulled himself together before continuing. "Welcome. The cleaner has just finished with the Penthouse suite. Here's your key. Just put it in the slot in the elevator to unlock the top floor."

Harry laughed quietly as the man turned to talk to the rich couple, obviously one of the apartment holders. He went over to the elevator and pushed the button, the door opened immediately and he walked in. He found the slot and put in the key and turned it. The elevator beeped and the door slid shut and he started to rise through the ten floor building to the top floor. The whole floor was the apartment with training room, kitchen, three bed rooms, two bathrooms and living room that spanned a whole side of the square building. It was larger than the whole of Gryffindor Tower, it even had a Jacuzzi on the large open topped section that doubled as the balcony.

He spent half an hour just exploring the apartment from top to bottom. He picked the second largest bedroom to sleep in, purely because two of the walls were made of windows and he loved the openness of the room. He had always loved flying and the open air but since he had become a mutant it had become almost an obsession of his. He couldn't wait for night to fall so that he could be out in the sky without being seen.

Not that it truly mattered if the Muggles saw him since they knew all about mutants, the problem was that word could get back to the Wizards that someone matching his description, as in someone with wings, had been seen. He had thought of going to America but he knew that they'd expect that and since he had no knowledge of America whatsoever he would be easy to find. In England he knew more than the Wizards about the muggle world and could easily blend in.

Harry phone down to Comphrey to arrange for enough food for two weeks to be delivered the next morning before settling in the Jacuzzi to relax with a book till night fell. He'd already thrown out all of the books he had on magical theory that was still pointless to him which meant all of them and decided in place of that part of his life he would study something else. In the end that was aeronautical engineering. He'd always had a thing for planes, ever since he was young enough to realise what they were. It hadn't come to much in his youth apart from the odd book he had managed to get a hold of to read but when he had gone to Hogwarts he had always had a book on research and had tried to keep up with the technology available.

He'd talked to an Aeronautical firm that Bennett Inc. owned and had arranged for the representative to drop round detailed reports on everything of worth that they were working on. They were an American based company and had spent a lot of time and money researching faster and higher ways of travelling. He'd been pointed towards a couple of books on theoretical aeronautics.

Night fell only two hours later and Harry got out of the Jacuzzi and ate some of the cold food that he had brought in town to tie him over till the morning. He put on his jeans and shoes, tucked the now shrunk trench coat into his jeans pocket and stepped up onto the patio wall to look at the 80-foot drop down to the five lane wide one way system still full of cars. He leapt into the air and flapped hard with his almost fully grown wings gaining as much altitude as he could to get out of the light glow of the large town. He turned towards the dimness in the south and glided out over the town.

For three hours until well after midnight Harry just flew with the freedom granted to him by making his own decisions. The flying took everything off his mind. He didn't have to think about the future, the past or even what he was responsible for now. He could be himself.

He was knocked from his musings when he noticed a shadow blotting out a pattern of stars above him. He knew it was a clear night tonight but maybe it was just a stray cloud. He rolled over in an awkward manoeuvre that had taken him the last hour of practice to master and watched it. He couldn't see it but he knew it wasn't a cloud when it changed direction abruptly.

Just as he started to lose altitude from hanging upside down he flipped back over again and strained his neck to find the object again. It was only about fifty foot above him now and he flapped his wings to closed the gap. As it got up behind it with only about twenty feet between them he realised with shock that this thing was actually a human. One with white wings that shone under the starlight now visible since Harry could see the top of the wings.

Harry pulled on some more speed to close the gap and the sound of his wings between the air warned the other winged human to his presence. He glanced over his shoulder at the silver wings and instantly collapsed his wings into his back and shot down towards the ground like a rock.

Harry was shocked for a second at the reaction before he mimicked him and did the same. Air tore through his wings as he held them close to him. He followed the shadow down but it was obvious that his opponent was much better at flying with his wings than he was. The other man dropped between two buildings on the outskirts of an estate and landed with elegance regardless of the short stopping distance. Harry was forced to spread his wings way earlier in order to stop not having the muscles capable of stopping in that distance but he still managed to land with enough time to block the man from running out into one of the fields.

Even in the dim light he noticed that the man was actually only a seventeen year old boy, or there about. Older than himself by the looks of it but in the dim light he couldn't be sure.

Harry flexed his wings slightly, the silver glimmering in the moonlight and watched as the other did the same. "Who are you and what do you want?" He asked Harry.

"Please, I didn't mean to scare you." Harry said but in response the other just collapsed his wings and turned to leave. "I'm Harry. I just want to talk!" Harry hadn't realised how desperate he was for a friend until that moment but the boy was already gone, disappearing into the shadows.

"Damnit!" Harry swore before donning his leather jacket and following the path. There was a manned gate in the outer wall of the estate but Harry just sidetracked and jumped the wall with the aid of his wings. He glanced back at the gate and noticed the sign on the gate. It was a old style shield with a dog and a knight's helmet above a shield holding three upturned crescents and three complete circles.

He recognised it from his youth. It was a private school that the Dursleys had dreamt of sending Dudley but it had been too expensive for them. "Don't worry, I'll find you he smiled before he turned and left in search of a cab that would take him back to Guildford at one in the morning."

XOXOXOXOX

The next morning Harry awoke late from his phone ringing. He leant over in his bed and pressed the speaker phone button.

"Hello?" He said as he got out of bed and stretched his wings and then all of his muscles.

"_Master Bennett? Comphrey here, your food order has arrived. Do you want me to send it up?"_

"Sure thing, Mr. Comphrey, have them bring it up." Harry paused after pulling on some clothing, forgoing the shirt as usual. "Do you know where I might be able to buy a computer around here?"

"_There is a place nearby, come down when you want to go and I'll give you the directions."_

"Thanks," Harry said and then pressed the button to hand up again. The elevator beeped as it slid open and Harry threw on his trench coat again in a hurry so that the delivery people didn't get a look at his wings. "Just dump it all in the kitchen could you?"

"Sure thing, Mr. Bennett." The eldest of the three of them told him before directing the others in. "What about the frozen food? Do you want that in the freezer?"

Harry just nodded before going to take a shower leaving them to their job in peace. He came out not ten minutes later to find them just finishing.

"Do you always wear that trench coat?" One of the younger men asked him rather bluntly. Harry just stared at him with what he knew were rather cold eyes.

"Mind your own business, Jack!" The older man snapped over his shoulder. "My apologies, Sir. He's new to this. If you could just sign this we'll go."

Harry signed the form and let them out into the elevator to be polite.

After he had thrown together a quick dinner he left the building after getting instructions from Comphrey as to where he could buy that computer. In only a few hours he was setting it up in the living room and plugging it into the internet that was already set up in the building.

He hadn't been able to get that winged boy out of his head since he had seen him in the moonlight the night before and was confused that the school was already open as it was still four days till the beginning of September. Why would a seventeen or eighteen year old be there already?

It only took him a few moments to find the school's website and spent a few minutes reading term dates and information on the school itself. It was when he reached the bottom of the page that he realised that fate didn't always hate him. In small words at the bottom of the home page was 'Part of Bennett Inc.'

He grinned inanely. It seemed that he wouldn't have to sneak in to see this boy in the end. He also knew though that just calling the school and asking for a meeting was out of the question. There had been no influence from the Bennett family for so long that a seventeen year old calling for a tour would just make whoever ran that place laugh and hang up.

Before he could think more on the problem his phone rang again.

"Bennett here." He said trying to get used to the new name.

"_Mr. Bennett, there is a man here to see you from Bennett Aeronautics."_ Harry grinned again in excitement and told Comphrey to send him up.

It was only a minute later that the thirty or so year old was walking out of the elevator. Harry greeted him warmly.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Bennett." The man smiled, "I must say it is a pleasure and an honour to finally meet you."

Harry knew the man was dying to ask where his family had disappeared to for so long. "Mr. Vanhue?" Harry received a nod. "My absence was necessary for the company. You may not be aware since only the board directors were told, but my parents were murdered sixteen years ago. They felt it would be best if I disappeared until I was ready to take control of the company and so that nobody could take advantage of my age."

Vanhue just nodded slowly to show that that was what he had guess. "I've brought along a gift for you from Bennett Aeronautics." He told Harry as they walked into the living room. Harry offered him a drink but he refused. "My boss was very interested that you had taken such a liking to our work. This box contains our new state of the art laptop. It is something that we wont bring out onto the common market for at least another five years since the military were the ones to commission it." He pulled out a sleek looking black laptop but instead of the usual metal and plastic it was coated with a Teflon type material. "It is lightweight but has the same processing power of a missile launch system. In fact this processor is what the American Military use for their systems. Though this is a slightly newer design. It will pick up any type of signal you program it too along with a constant internet access protected by the most powerful security programs this world has designed."

"I think I could find a use for this." Harry grinned.

"We thought so. On there is all of our current research data as well as a complex instruction program on how to use the systems. You'll be able to use your company access codes to link with Bennett Aeronautics computer mainframe as well as any other company within Bennett Inc. that we have designed the computers for."

"This is perfect, it will allow me to get everything I need down and keep in contact with the company." Harry said.

"Along the top of the screen is a camera, you'll be able to join any of the companies board meetings from almost anywhere on earth." Vanhue grinned.

"Is there a list on here of the smaller companies I own?" Harry asked.

"There is, was there one you had in mind?" Vanhue asked as Harry poured himself some water and with his guests permission some for him as well.

"I was thinking Charterhouse." Harry told him.

"It is one of ours. My two sons go there at the moment, I've been busy this summer so they are there now." Vanhue told him. "A lot of our senior employees send their children there."

"Were you planning on a visit after you finish here then?" Harry asked seeing an opening.

"I was going to Sir." Vanhue hoped he wasn't about to get given something to do that would prevent it.

"Great, I hope you don't mind if I tag along then. I wanted to visit but I didn't think the headmaster would have believed that I was back without a proper introduction." Harry continued seeing the look of shock that came across Vanhue's face. "I hope you don't mind."

"No, No Sir, I wasn't worried about that. Just rather shocked that you were letting me since this is a business trip." Vanhue muttered.

"Nonsense. What's the point bringing you all the way from America to a place only two miles from your sons without letting you visit them. That would just be cruel." Harry laughed and led the way out of the building. They picked up a cab from the train station and Harry paid for the fifteen minute trip to the main gates of the Charterhouse school.

He let Vanhue do the talking as they got out of the cab and it drove off. He chatted with one of the guards who got a strange look on his face before glancing at Harry and then ran into the guard house. He noticed something that he had missed before hand. The guards were military by the looks of it and they were armed.

He and Vanhue were let through without problems and at Harry's request were left to walk up to the front entrance themselves. "Why were they so heavily armed?" He asked Vanhue as soon as they were out of hearing range.

"Some of the worlds richest families send their sons here. Including some people in key military positions. The guards here are half on the British Military's payroll and half on your own." Harry nodded to show that he understood. They were greeted at the entrance by a man, probably in his early fifties. He introduced himself as the Deputy Headmaster since the Headmaster was away for the week before school officially started and asked if they would like a tour of the campus.

Harry was about to agree when they were interrupted when two twelve year old boys came hurtling out of the building on the right and came charging towards them. Harry fought the urge to bring his wings to bear for protection as they charged passed him and barrelled into Vanhue hugging the man around his waist.

"I apologise Mr. Bennett, these are my twin son. Michael and George, they must have seen us walk up." Harry just grinned to say that he was forgiven.

"How about we leave Mr. Vanhue and his sons to catch up?" Harry asked the Deputy Headmaster. Vanhue tried to protest by Harry cut him off when he glimpsed a very pale looking boy standing in the main doorway into the school. It was the winged man from the school with his wings carefully hidden beneath a brown jacket similar to his own. It obviously wasn't magical like his own but it was a good enough cover that you had to know of the wings to notice. He just looked much more bulky then his trim form had looked last night.

Harry got an idea and continued the conversation. "Perhaps one of your older students could show me around so that I don't take up any more of your valuable time." He said with a smile, pointedly looking passed the Deputy towards the young man.

Said Deputy glanced around and seeing him waved him over. Harry couldn't resist smirking at the look of annoyance on his winged friends face as he tried to think of a way to get out of it.

"Warren." The Deputy supplied. "I want you to show Mr. Bennett here around."

"Why?" Warren, Harry's winged friend, replied shortly.

"Warren, don't be so rude. It is an honour to have me Mr. Bennett with us today." The Deputy reprimanded Warren. With that the Deputy left Harry with a very disgruntled Warren.

Vanhue turned to Harry and gave him a cell phone. "Here Mr. Bennett, another present from us. I'm listed in the phone book, just give me a call when your finished."

Harry dismissed Vanhue with a smile after that and then turned back to Warren to see him walking of heavily out around the buildings. "Hey!" He almost yelled. "Don't leave me here. I'll get lost!"

Warren got around the larger buildings with Harry trailing behind him silently. Harry followed him all the way to the stables before Warren turned around with a snap. "What are you doing here?" Warren shouted. "Who the hell are you anyway?"

"Shh. Don't shout!" Harry warned, waving his hand pleadingly. "Like your Deputy said. I'm Mr. Bennett, and I told you last night that my name was Harry."

"So?" Warren asked, "Why does that allow you to stroll in here and command people around?"

"Because I own this place." Harry said chirpily.

"How can you own this place?" Warren asked. "You're younger than me."

"My parents are dead. That leaves me in charge." Harry sighed.

"So you really are the owner of Bennett Inc." Warren stated. "My father has tried to take over parts of Bennett Inc. ever since he found out that the Bennett's had been killed but he was never successful."

"Who's your father?" Harry asked.

"Warren Worthington." Warren told him.

"Never heard of him." Harry sighed.

"How can you not have heard of Worthington if my father keeps making bids on your businesses?" Warren asked. "Where have you been all this time?"

"Away." Harry said simply.

"Why did you come back?" Warren asked curious this time rather than demanding which made him look much better than he had whilst angry. His closely cropped blond hair and sharp features looking much clearer in the sunlight.

"I grew these on my seventeenth birthday just under four weeks ago and everyone I knew turned against me. Tried to have me arrested in fact after I touch one of them and nearly killed him."

"So you are a mutant then?" Warren asked lightening up.

"Yeah, though you're the first I've met. Do you just have the wings?"

"Yeah. Those were hard enough to hide I assure you." Warren asked. "How about you?"

"When I touch people I drain their energy." Harry said flatly.

"Ouch." Warren said after a few moments. "How about that tour then?"

Over the next three hours Harry was shown everywhere in the school though they talked more about their time growing up, though Harry had to leave out anything to do with magic. Warren had grown up in America but when his wings began to grow and his father had found him in the bathroom one night cutting them off and sawing down the bones, which made Harry jerked at the imagined pain, he had been sent to Charterhouse so that he was out of the public eye. He had been allowed to stay during the holidays and barely saw his father.

Harry told them all about living without his own parents and it was surprising how much they had in common. Harry told him all about the last few days. Running from his friends after they flipped at him being a mutant, going to his financial advisor for help and being sent out here. Just before Harry left they arranged to meet again tonight and it was a infinitely happier Harry that left in a cab leaving Vanhue to stay the night in the school before he flew back to America.


	3. Corporate Duels

Wings of an Angel

Chapter 3; Corporate Duels

**Guildford; Harry's Penthouse**

Harry landed heavily on his balcony and immediately folded his wings to allow his new friend to land as well. It had been a week since Harry had forced the meeting at Charterhouse where Warren was at school. The school term had officially started again so Warren spent most of his time in classes much more at ease around his fellow students now that Harry had arranged with Gringotts and brought an almost identical coat like the one he wore to hide Warrens wings in public. To say that Warren was pleased with the gift was an understatement.

Harry had spent the last few weeks getting to know his business. With almost constant calls to certain members of the Bennett Inc. Directors Board he had been able to not only make a few friends but get the gist of everything that was happening to the multi-billion pound business. It hadn't been all fun an games however, he had also given himself a brutal education schedule to keep up with and was infinitely glad that he hadn't slackened off on his normal education whilst at Hogwarts.

The company was also doing well in the wake of his return. He learned from the directors that since most of Bennett Inc. was made up of smaller companies like Bennett Aeronautics, research centres and other such businesses. Some of the smaller companies had had trouble in recent years because of other companies moving in on them with support from their own overseeing companies since the only person that could transfer support, personnel and funds between the companies was himself. Now that he was back, however, those companies were pushing back at companies like Warren's fathers company.

All in all it seemed that nobody really begrudged Harry's sudden return, in fact most were so overjoyed with it that ever since his officially return via his new laptop to all of his Board of Directors and the CEO's of all of the companies he had been inundated with reports and emails from every section of his vast company.

"I'm sorry, Harry." Warren apologised as soon as they were both down on the paving stones. "It's not my choice!"

They had just been flying, like they had every night of the last week when Warren had told Harry that he was leaving England.

"I'm not angry at you, Warren!" Harry snapped and then instantly regretted it as he spun round to face his only friend. "You're the only friend I have left now. Why cant you just ignore your father's orders?"

"How am I supposed to stay here?" Warren retorted, "He pays for me to stay at Charterhouse. He'll just pull my tuition fee."

"That wouldn't matter," Harry argued back just as fiercely. "I own Charterhouse, you wouldn't have to leave."

"I cant just ignore my father's orders." Warren pointed out. "He'd my father, you wouldn't understand." This time Warren was the one that instantly regretted his words as Harry clamped down on his expression like a brick wall had come between them. "I'm sorry, Harry!"

Harry just looked at him impassively before turning and walking straight into his apartment. He left the balcony door open as an invitation for Warren which the slightly younger boy took instantly glad that he wasn't being shut out completely. "I know you meant nothing by it, Warren." Harry said as his pulled on his waiting trench coat and stood facing the window. Warren came up behind him and wrapped his arms around his shorter friend being careful not to touch his skin.

They'd been a couple almost the whole week and in that time they had been careful never to touch each other without something in between them. Warren knew that it was driving Harry crazy, knowing that he could never touch anyone again, and Warren felt almost the same way, begrudging the loss for both himself and for Harry.

Harry turned his head slightly before continuing. "You right, I don't understand. I've always been independent. If you have to leave then you have to."

"You my only friend as well, Harry." He dropped his chin on the leather clad shoulder before tightening his grip ever slow slightly whilst making sure that his ear didn't touch Harry's. "Why don't you come with me? You can run Bennett Inc. from San Francisco as well as anywhere else."

"England's my own. It might have betrayed me but I cant leave it yet." He still hadn't told Warren about his magical background wanting to be sure that Warren would be able to handle it before he did so.

"Well, when you do we can see each other again and I'm sure we'll be able to talk like you do with your directors." Warren pointed out.

"I'll miss you though." Harry sighed. "Bennett Aeronautics main office is in San Francisco. I'll make sure you can get in before you go so you have somewhere you can go to."

Harry sighed again and dropped his head down before remembering something. "You didn't say why your father was bringing you back."

It wasn't really a question but Warren answered anyway. "He didn't exactly tell me, he said that he had to do with a new contract that they had and that things might get dangerous for me over here."

Harry frowned, "Dangerous? I don't like the sound of that." Before Warren or Harry could say more his laptop almost had a fit as it started beeping as if hysterical. Harry stepped out of Warren's arms and flicked open the screen. The incoming video icon was superimposed over the black screen. The bottom of the screen read simply, '_Bennett Inc. Directors.'_

"Do you want me to leave?" Warren asked knowing that it would be company business.

"Nah, I trust you." Harry smiled over his shoulder before hitting the enter button to open the connection and seating himself next to Warren who had slipped on his own leather jacket to hide his state of undress and more importantly his wings. The image of the board room in Washington flashed up onto the screen with, for the first time, a complete set of Board Directors. "You do realise that it's 3am here don't you?" Harry asked them with a grin.

"You cant say that you weren't awake." Rudolph, the head of the board stated simply. The clock on the corner of the screen reported the time in Washington as being 11pm give or take a few minutes. "It quite late here at any rate."

"What's the problem?" Harry asked suddenly realising to have a 11pm board meeting only happened in serious situations, especially when you woke the boss up at 3am.

"Who's that?" One of the other directors asked who Harry, glancing at his folder of mug shots, identified as Carl Morgan, one of the youngest on the board at only thirty-five.

"This is Warren." Harry said simply as his friend waved slightly.

Rudolph and a few others looked more carefully at Warren before gasping. "As in Warren Worthington?" Rudolph asked in shock and horror. Harry nodded. "I don't think he should be in on this conference, Mr. Bennett." He said carefully using, Harry noted, his last name rather than his first name which he had insisted the board use.

"Don't worry about Warren. I trust him not to tell his father about anything we discuss." Harry said and noted that Warren relaxed into the chair a bit more to make it obvious that he really wasn't there to spy for his father. "Now what is the problem."

"We'll bring someone else in to explain that." Rudolph explained and he hit a button on the a remote control in front of him. A smaller square appeared in the top left corner of the screen with a very tired looking man in it. "Mr. Bennett, this is Gregory O'Here. Head of our research ward on Alcatraz Island."

"It's an honour to meet you at last, Mr. Bennett." Harry saw the sunlight coming through a window behind the man showing the time as displayed at the corner of his screen as just after 7pm. Also along the bottom was curiously Bennett Aeronautical's signature showing the signal as coming out of their office and not Gregory O'Here's.

"What's up, Mr. O'Here?" Harry asked noticing the nervous fidgeting that the man was doing.

"Worthington just took over our research ward. I've spent the last three hours moving our patient's to one of our centres in Los Angeles." The man told him. "They shut down our office systems almost immediately to move their own in. I had to come here to contact the board."

"We were informed by the Government just an hour ago, just before Gregory called us, that via contract with the Government they were seizing the Island to do research that the President believes to be in need of the best security. The Island was deemed to be the best place for that." Rudolph explained.

"So," Harry summed up. "Worthington got a contract from the Government that allows him to just commandeer Alcatraz labs for his own research?"

"Yes, Sir." O'Here told him.

"I thought they couldn't do that since the companies under British ownership. That's one of the reasons we place our research centres in America." Harry argued.

Rudolph, clearly impressed that Harry knew that reasoning, sighed. "The contract is with the British and American Governments which unfortunately means we cant fight it with either the land or the ownership loopholes."

"Since the land in American and the ownership English they needed both to counter our loopholes." Harry nodded as he said it out loud. "What can we do about it?"

"We need to appeal against it but since we already hold most of the military contracts they wont pity us losing one building so that Worthington can have at least one." Jefferson, another of the older directors stated. "We need you to come to America."

Harry flinched in shock. "Why?"

"By announcing your immediate arrival into America it will put pressure on both the Government and Worthington since with you here we have more leverage over them when it comes to our holdings and contracts." Rudolph pointed out calmly.

"And the rise in shares due to my public return would give the company more power to put pressure on Worthington's other sections." Harry finished for him.

Rudolph actually laughed this time. "Got it in one, Harry. This move cant get back to Worthington though otherwise he might be able to counter it somehow."

"I said to not worry about Warren. He wont say any of this to his father." Harry assured them and felt Warren's hand on his arm to say that he spoke the truth. Harry suddenly got an idea. "Bennett Aeronautics is one of our largest companies isn't it?"

"Yes, Harry." Jacob spoke from the far end of the boardroom.

"Do I need to come to Washington then, can I stage myself in the offices in San Francisco?" Harry asked.

"Worthington is in San Francisco, it would be a good opportunity to point out to him that we wont let this move slide." Rudolph explained to everyone.

"Then it's settled. I'll let you guys decide which companies to move against since you know that part best at the moment. I'll be on the first plane I can get." Harry told them.

"A private jet is waiting at Farnborough Airport for you at the moment. We sort of guessed what you would do and contacted them."

"That's fine." Harry nodded to show that he was grateful before looking up into the corner of the screen and to O'Here's face even though to O'Here he'd be looking off to the side. "Can you let them know that I am coming?"

"Sure thing."

"We'll call our CNN affiliate and schedule a press conference for us in the morning to announce your return. They'll want you to give one from Bennett Aeronautics soon as well." Rudolph told him.

"You arrange it and just let me know the time and place." Harry said before hitting the escape key to cut the connection. He turned to a grinning Warren. "Looks like we don't have to apart after all."

Without thinking Warren jumped forward and placing his hands on Harry's shoulders he kissed him squarely on the lips. In that instant the only thing that Harry could think of was that Warren was going to get hurt. In his fear he snapped rigid and Warren noticing this leant away before locking shocked blue eyes on Harry's equally shocked green eyes.

"What?" Harry croaked out in amazement.

"You didn't hurt me?" Warren asked confused.

"I didn't feel anything like I normally do when I touch someone."

"It didn't effect me?" Warren asked in awe and Harry shook his head. "It didn't effect me!" He yelled before jumping straight into Harry knocking him backwards against the sofa and crushing their lips together. This time Harry didn't resist and instead just melted into the kiss.


	4. Speaking the truth

Wings of an Angel

Chapter 4; Speaking the truth

Harry and Warren slept the rest of the night away in the highly comfortable chairs in the Private jet. They, as well as their luggage which wasn't a lot for either of them, were the only passengers for the transatlantic flight and although the jet was small it managed the journey in just over ten hours with a short stop off in Northern Canada in order to refuel.

Harry found out a lot over the distance about Warren's childhood, how the boy had grown up under the shadow of the owner of one of the worlds largest companies and why he and his father had never really seen eye to eye on the matter of Warren's wings. This brought the topic back to the ever increasing questions from Warren about how the gifted cloak worked.

Harry had never told Warren of the magical world, wanting to forget it if it was ever possible since he was no longer inherently magical but rather a mutant.

They were passing over the border between Canada and the United States when Warren finally lost patience with Harry's evasions. "I don't know why you just wont tell me!" He almost yelled, remembering in the last instant that there were two pilots in the cockpit as well as a hostess in the next compartment. "I know there's something you're hiding Harry. What is it?"

Harry sagged back into his seat even as another excuse made its way into his mind. He was on the verge of saying it when he frowned and forced himself to stop. He stared at his boyfriend and thought back to that one kiss before they had left. He had touched a few people since leaving Gringotts a week or so ago and had always had the same effect on them. If they were normal humans he would drain their energy, leaving them more tired, if they were magical he would drain their magic and control it and he guess that if they were mutants he would drain their gifts for his own temporary use.

Why had it not happened when Warren had touched him? He had checked that he still had that effect this morning by shaking the hand of the hostess as they got onto the plane at Farnborough Airport and he had seen her shiver and look slightly more tired that she already was a half three in the morning.

Maybe because Warren's gift was his wings and since Harry already had wings his own gift ignored it since it would be pointless to drain it for his own use. Was Warren the only one he could ever touch then? He reached across the small table, passed their drinks, and stroked the back of Warren's hand softly before laying his hand against his skin and looking up to meet Warren's gaze again.

"You feel nothing?" Harry asked, "No drain whatsoever, not even slightly tired?"

"I only feel your hand on mine." Warren flipped his own hand and grasped Harry's in his own. "Now, don't change the subject. How does this jacket hide my wings like their not even there?"

"You know of Human and Mutants right?" Harry didn't wait for an answer before continuing, "There are others out there."

"Others?"

"Do you believe in Vampires, Werewolves, Wizards?" Harry stared at him. "Do you believe that there is such a thing as magic, Warren?"

Warren just stared at him in shock. "You mean a kind of Mutant gift?"

"No, Warren, I mean magic. Wands, spells, wards, Phoenixes, everything." Harry explained. "There is a whole world hidden under the normal one where thousands of Witches and Wizards live their lives hidden from those that don't believe in them."

"And these came from a Wizard?" Warren asked gesturing at the jackets.

"You believe me?"

Warren frowned at Harry before slowly nodding. "I trust you, you wouldn't make this up and nothing I know could have created these jackets."

"Actually a Goblin created these for me."

"A Goblin?" Warren seemed to want to laugh at the absurdness of it all.

"They look after the estates of rich Wizards and Witches. The one who got these for us looks after my own estates in the Wizarding World just as an accountant would do in this world." Harry explained.

"And you were a part of this world?" Warren asked, "How could a mutant be a part of a magical world?"

"They cant." Harry sighed, "I was a wizard, magic and everything that goes with it. On my birthday my mutant gifts came to the fore and destroyed my magic replacing it with these wings and the ability to use other's energy, magic and gifts as my own."

"So why did you leave?"

"I was thrown out." Harry said simply. "My true name isn't Harry Bennett. The owners of Bennett Inc. never really went by that name. They were Potters. Wizards who had the foresight to branch out into the human world of business."

"So you're the Harry Potter that the police are looking for?" Warren frowned and Harry tensed, his wings straining under his jacket.

"Is that a problem?"

"I don't believe you're a murderer, you wouldn't kill someone in cold blood." Warren pointed out.

"Not in cold blood," Harry sighed, "I did kill someone though."

"Who?" Warren asked reaching for Harry's hand again which had disappeared from his grip at the mention of police.

"A Wizard called Tomas Riddle." Harry sighed, "He killed my parents when I was a baby to try to get to me but a spell he cast at me rebounded and struck him down but didn't kill him. For the next thirteen years he hunted me to use me to get his body and powers back, and two years ago he managed it and for the last two years has been gaining power and hunting me."

Harry paused to collect his thoughts. "I lost a godfather and a mentor to him before this summer, only a month ago, my mutant gifts came to the fore. He found me at my relatives home only ten days ago and as soon as we touched I felt his magic twisting inside of him. He screamed as I turned it against him, killing him with his own magic."

"You did what you had to do." Warren assured him.

"I obliterated his soul with his own magic to prevent him from ever returning." Harry sighed again and slouched in his seat. Warren was forced to stand and move to his side to retain the contact between their hands. "My friends saw what I had become and turned me out of the world. They wanted to lock me up because they found out I could turn their magic against them."

"They are stupid to think that. I've only known you a week and I know you wouldn't do that." Warren argued.

"You'd be taking a risk to stay with me, Warren." Harry pointed out and continued before Warren could voice his objections. "They are not going to rest until they have either locked me up, killed me or even till they find a way to control my powers for their own use."

"I'm not going to leave you. There are new laws in America which will prevent them from taking you into custody for being a mutant and they wont be able to convince the American Government that you killed that Wizard without revealing themselves since you are soon to be a well known man." Warren pointed out knowing more about the politics of the world than Harry did.

They were interrupted by the hostess to tell them that they would be approaching in a few minutes and that she would back to lock in their seats and check their seatbelts as soon as she was finished squaring away the galley. Warren jumped over Harry to the seat beside him so he wouldn't be isolated when his old seat was span back around to the front.

"Why do you think we can touch, if everyone else you touch gets drained or whatever?" Warren asked as he put the lap belt on and did the same to Harry who really didn't have a clue of what to do in planes.

"I was thinking about that earlier." Harry told him. "I think it's because I already have wings. What would be the point of draining your gift when I already have it."

"That simple?" Warren asked.

"It's the most logical." Harry pointed out.

"But how would it know without draining my gift in the first place?" Warren asked.

"Some people used to say that magic was an almost sentient thing. My old school used to play tricks on people, make them lost by moving doors and staircases." Harry explained. "She used to help me out at times, I could feel her as if she knew me. She could detect friend from foe and report it to the Headmaster. My own magic always used to do things to help me as well. When I was younger it saved me from my cousin several times even when I didn't know I had magic."

"And your mutant gift could be sentient enough to know that I wouldn't be worth draining." Warren finished for him.

"Or to know that I cared about you enough to not want to hurt you for its own sake." Harry suggested but Warren was cut off as the hostess came back, locked in their seats and settled down in one of the foremost seats.

Harry suddenly remembered something as they were coming into land. "What time is it in Washington?" Harry asked loud enough for the American Hostess to here him.

"Just coming up on midday, sir."

"Can you get CNN on that TV?" Harry asked.

"Yes Sir." She leant forward and grabbed the remote from beside the TV and clicked it on before settling in her seat again.

The screen flashed on, quickly followed by the sound.

"_We interrupt our normal news broadcast to go to our Business News Affliates and our reporter in Washington DC where Bennett Inc. Board of Directors are about to go live with a press conference."_

The screen changed to show a reporter with a microphone in front of the Bennett Inc. Head office in Washington. A huge banner hung from the building with the Bennett emblem on it. A pedestal stood in front of it with a dozen microphones on it. Harry recognised the whole board chatting in a group behind it, as of yet ignoring the public.

"_Thank you Hugh. I am Nigel Boarwight reporting live from Bennett Plaza in Washington DC where not an hour ago the Board of Directors announced plans for a press conference where they claim to be about to announce something of dire interest to the business world."_

The screen split in two to show both Hugh and Nigel as the anchor man prompted his reporter for information. "_Could you explain to our reviews why the Board of Directors are leading the conference and not the owner?" _It was obvious that the man already knew but wanted the information told to the viewers again.

"_As most in the business world knows the Bennett Inc. Board of Directors have run the company that is rated as one of the largest companies in the world since James Bennett and his wife were murdered sixteen years ago and their child was sent to grow up away from pressures."_

"_Do you think this could anything to do with the recent government aided takeover of Alcatraz labs by Worthington Co.?" _Hugh asked.

"_It could very well be, Hugh." _Nigel nodded his head, "_Bennett Inc. has released no official statement to the public about the loss of their medical labs in San Francisco but sources have indicated that they have sent a massive appeal straight to the Presidents own office." _The man glanced behind him as scuffling began. "_They are calling the conference to order, Hugh. Perhaps now we can find out what is happening."_

Harry bounced slightly as the plane landed but he and Warren were too busy watching the conference to really notice the change of scenery out of the window. Rudolph was now standing behind the podium as the audience calmed down.

"_Thank you, Ladies and Gentleman, for coming here today. As we informed you we have an announcement to make." _Rudolph told them, "_As you all know, Bennett Incorporated has been under the temporary leadership of the Board of Directors for the last sixteen years due to the deaths of James Bennett and his wife, Lily and their son was placed in protection."_

He paused to make sure everyone had understood him so far. "_We brought you all here to announce to you that Harry Bennett, owner of Bennett Incorporated, has returned to the company to lead us into the new era that has fallen upon the world."_

There was such an uproar on the screen that Harry had to laugh at the stupidity of it all. Rudolph was forced to wait out the general chatter and once it had settled to people just waving their hands through the air for attention. Rudolph pointed at one woman about mid way through the crowd. The camera panned around to squarely face her.

"_Where has Mr. Bennett been for the last sixteen years?" _She asked loudly. The camera panned to take in the whole gathering though a large portion of it was centred on Rudolph and the Directors behind them.

"_I'm afraid that, for Mr. Bennett's own safety and for those that housed him, I cannot disclose that information. Next question please."_

"_Is this return because of your companies loss of Alcatraz Island?"_

"_It was always a planned event, though this situation over Alcatraz medical centre has pushed his return date to this earlier time." _Rudolph responded easily.

"_What are your plans now that he has returned?"_

"_As you are no doubt aware, after the death of James Bennett our company had to fall back on its own subsidiary sections for advancement. Now that he has returned we will be looking to advance the company out into other areas." _Rudolph told them and Harry had to laugh at his choice of wording for taking over other companies. It seemed that the audience hadn't missed the meaning either.

"_Is Mr. Bennett going to return here?"_

"_Mr. Bennett, due to his own studies, will be setting up his office in Bennett Aeronautics in San Francisco in order to reconsolidate the medical offices from Alcatraz Island. I'm afraid that that must be it for now. Mr. Bennett will be calling his own press conference in a day or so to answer any questions that you might wish to ask directly. Thank you for your time."_

The screen changed to focus again on the reporter in Washington. "_There you have it Hugh. Probably the Economical world's greatest announcement since the deaths of the Bennett's sixteen years ago."_

"_What do you think this will mean for Bennett Inc., Nigel?" _Hugh asked as the screen split in two again.

"_The owner of Bennett Inc.'s return can only mean one thing. A dramatic rise in operations across the company that will surely cause major ripples in the Business world to any company larger than a hot dog vendor."_ Both of them chuckled at the joke before the screen returned to the CNN studio. A few more things were said by Hugh but mostly just inquisitions into Harry's motives which he wasn't at all interested in.

"It seems that you've got the majority of America talking about you before you've even stepped off of the plane." Warren laughed. "I would pay to see my father's face at this moment."

"Why?" Harry asked as they both stood and thanked the hostess and the two pilots as they walked down the steps out of the plane.

"Dad's always been worried about Bennett Inc." Warren quirked an eyebrow at the limo sitting to one side of the plane, though having gotten used to them he brushed it off. "Bennett Inc. is like a giant that's stopped to ponder the scenery just as his foot was about to squash a village."

"So your father's worried about me?" Harry asked.

"I don't know now. He definitely used to be but that was when our own company was much smaller." Warren frowned, "He might just be scared."

They sat down in the limo and felt it pull off even though the windows were too smoked to really see anything in detail through them. Harry turned to Warren. "You know what I said to the board about trusting you?"

"Don't worry about it, Harry." Warren grabbed his hand. "I wont tell him anything that I've heard."

"That's what I mean." Harry sighed and lay back on the chair with his head in Warren's lap. He sighed as Warren's hand immediately began carding through his hair. "I don't want you going against your father. No matter what he thinks of your wings, he still loves you. You've told me enough for me to know that at least."

"I know." Warren dropped his head and kissed Harry on the forehead. "Hopefully, he wont have to find out I even know you."

Harry smiled up at him before pulling him down again for a light kiss. "We should be there soon." Harry told Warren as he got up and stared carefully at the changing scenery outside. "Do you think the reporters will be fast enough to catch us when we get there?"

"With over half an hours warning? Definitely." Warren gave him a smirk as Harry groaned. "Just refuse to comment and invite them to the press conference." He advised as they entered the City Centre.

Harry leaned over and after a bit of exploring, thumbed the hail button on a small control panel on the wall. The blacked out screen slid down an instant later and the co-driver turned to face them. "Did you need something, Mr. Bennett?"

"I'm going to be really busy today." Harry said with a glance at the clock which showed the time as not even six am. "Can you take Warren to wherever he needs to go and give him a way to contact somebody for a lift if he ever needs it?"

"Sure thing Mr. Bennett. We'll drop you off first and then take him." The man turned to Warren. "Where would you like to go?"

Warren thought for a moment before speaking. "Worthington Plaza?"

"That's fine, Mr. Worthington." The man smiled at Warren's nervous look before he looked at Harry. "And don't worry, Mr. Bennett. Me and Lex here know what discretion is. Nobody will hear from us that you know Mr. Worthington."

"Thank you…?" Harry tailed off.

"Oh, sorry Sir." The man smiled apologetically. "My names Sandy Reynolds, this is Lex Tamwell. If you ever need a driver, night or day. Just give us a call from your cell and we'll be there with the limo or the jaguar if you want to be a bit more discreet."

Harry took the piece of paper from Sandy and quickly entered the two drivers' numbers into his cell phone for future use. He handed Warren the scrap after he had finished and Warren folded it up and put it in his pocket for safety.

"Night or day, remember, Warren." Harry stared at his boyfriend carefully as they pulled up to the crowded entrance to Bennett Aeronautics a few minutes later. "I'll make sure that you can always get into here and into wherever I am staying. Get in touch soon." Harry pecked Warren on the lips as the limo came to a stop, the area was quickly over run with reporters though within seconds they were being shoved back by security guards and even a couple of police officers.

Harry stepped out of the limo after Sandy opened the door for him. Harry made sure to look over the area nonchalantly so that he would block the view into the limo until Sandy shut the door again so that the reporters wouldn't get a photo of Warren in his limo. Sandy went to the boot and opened it as Harry looked around ignoring the babble of questions, half because Warren had told him to and half because he couldn't understand a single question from the noise. Sandy handed his one bag to one of the security officers before nodding at Harry with a slight wink.

Harry followed the security guard across the ornate entrance. Two high fountains, at least ten metres each ran down stubbly rivers on each side of the entrance making a gentle noise that distracted Harry from the questions for a moment. Not soon enough he was at the door, held open by another two security guards. In all this time the guards hadn't allowed a single reporter within three metres of him and he was very glad.

Harry turned to them and raked his gaze across them, taking them in but never focusing on a single one. "Please." He raised a hand to hush them and they immediately fell silent apart from one who used the silence to yell out a question as to where he'd been. He ignored it. "Please, I invite you all to the press conference but please hold your questions until then."

Before they could start again he was already inside the doors and facing a large three story entrance hall. A desk sat in front of them with three receptionists behind it. A huge screen, currently displaying both the Bennett Inc. Emblem, a golden shield housing an array of silver sparks that Harry saw for what they were; magical sparks, and beside it the same shield but with the image of a Phoenix within the sparks, obviously the emblem for Bennett Aeronautics. Harry grinned at the blatant use of magical symbols but they were easily hidden.

Two wide stair cases twisted up around the room from the far end to directly above his head three stories up. Balconies lined the wall at each floor and Harry saw the distinctive signs of glass elevators on the back wall behind the stairs.

It was a distinctly intimidating place to be sure. In the lobby were what looked like half an army of security and every highly place employee of Bennett Aeronautics. Harry smiled as he noticed Gregory O'Here and to his surprise Vanhue.

"Welcome to America, Mr. Bennett." Vanhue stepped forwards with O'Here on one side and another man on the other. "Gregory tells me you have already met."

"Yes, we spoke last night before I left England." Harry nodded at the man before his gaze travelled to the other man.

"This is David Kinas. The Managing Director of Bennett Aeronautics." Vanhue introduced. Harry was glad when Kinas didn't offer his hand and noticed that O'Here hadn't either. He wondered at it for a moment but realised that Vanhue must have mentioned Harry's strange habit.

Harry shrugged it off. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Kinas." He nodded slowly to show his sincerity.

"It is an honour to have you stay here with us, Mr. Bennett. Already our stocks are on the rise both as an individual company and as Bennett Inc. as a whole. I must say that I am please you have taken such an interest in our specific work as well." Kinas told him with a wide smile.

Harry walked beside them as they headed for the lifts, presumably to take them up to the offices. "I believe my parents didn't have much of an personal interest in this area?" Harry asked having discuss it with Vanhue when he was visiting.

"We have come along way in sixteen years, Sir." Kinas said. "Would you like to start with a tour?"

"Actually, I was hoping to get something in the way of Dinner. Or I suppose breakfast." Harry grinned. "Travelling for ten hours in the wrong direction has completely mucked up my internal balance. I think I had lunch about five hours ago just over Greenland."

The three laughed at this and Harry was glad that at least this day had started well enough. As prolonged as it was to Harry. All he think about as he was served a cooked breakfast was what was happening to Warren and why he had been called back so suddenly.

XOXOXOXOX

End of Chapter


	5. Leech

Wings of an Angel

A/N; I cant find for the life of me a transcript on the film so any scenes from the film will be done from memory. If anyone knows a link to such a transcript please let me know.

Chapter 5; Leech

**Bennett Manor**

Flashback

_Harry felt the hit before he realised that Vernon had closed the gap while he had been having his epiphany and had smacked him across the face. Neither noticed but as Vernon pulled back his fist to deliver another punch, Harry's new wings twitched as if to try to span out._

"_We've put up with your freakishness for too long. But this is too far." Vernon paused in his verbal diatribe to deliver such a heavy blow onto Harry's shoulder that his vision started to cloud with pain as he nearly blacked out. "The American's might be all lovey-dovey with those mutants now but I wont roll over that easily."_

End Flashback

Harry shot up in bed, sweat pouring over his naked chest and matting the sheets pooled at his waist. He panted as he looked around half expecting to see his uncle in the room. A small light sprung from a gap between the door and the frame to his right and he saw the shadow and remembered that he was in his bed in the Bennett house in San Francisco.

"Come in." He croaked as he saw the shadow within that light.

"I'm sorry to wake you sir, but he said it was urgent." Michelle, the 35 year old housemaid, told him.

"Who?" Harry said swinging his feet out of the bed and rubbing his head. He glanced at the clock seeing that it was two-thirty in the morning.

"Warren Worthington, Sir." She told him. "He's on the phone."

"Thank you." Harry cried before rolling backwards of the bed to get to the phone on the opposite side. His wings got caught in the sheets and tangled around him but he ignored them. He heard Michelle chuckle at the sight. He hadn't had much luck hiding his wings from someone that he had live with for the last week and he was only glad that she hadn't even battered an eyelid, apart from the shock of seeing a seventeen year old boy with silver wings that is. He yanked up the phone. "Warren?"

"Yeah, hi." Came the sheepish voice.

"What's the matter?" Harry asked. He'd last seen Warren in the limo when they had first come to San Francisco, he hadn't heard from his boyfriend since and had become worried.

"I've just had a rather lengthy argument with my father." Warren was clearly upset.

"Where are you?" Harry asked instantly.

"Just outside the Worthington Manor, about two miles down the road."

"Stay there and I'll call Sandy and Lex and have them pick you up." Harry decided.

"Ok, Harry. Thanks." The line went dead and Harry picked up his cell phone and thumbed the nine button to call his drivers.

After asking them and getting an affirmative he poked his head out of his door and was met face to face with Michelle. "Warren's on his way, I'll wait up for him, you can go back to bed."

She just smiled at him motherly before strolling off down the hall to her own rooms. Harry slipped a dressing-gown around him, distorted as it was by his wings. He didn't bother to tie it around his waist since the Manor was rather warm in the early autumn heat. He went out into the chilly night air and waited their patiently letting the sharp breeze flow through his dressing gown and through his feathers.

His mind ran through the last week as if writing in a journal. The press conference had gone off without a hitch, he had released the fact that he had been put into the care of distant relatives in England and due to the recent arrest and imprisonment of the man who had killed his parents he had decided to return. He'd answered questions about his past but been purposely vague, though he never lied he never told the complete honest truth either.

He'd spent the week going between tours of the Bennett businesses in San Francisco from factories, dentists, hospitals, orphanages, shops and even a mall. That and a trip out into the countryside to the Bennett Aeronautics test range where their new jets were tested along with many other types aircraft.

Tomorrow he had the much anticipated conference between himself, the Board of Directors and a member of the US Cabinet in order to discuss the recent take over of Alcatraz Island by Worthington Labs and the possibility of a joint operation between Worthington Labs and Bennett Inc.'s huge infrastructure. He also planned on discussing the whole mutant situation with the Board of Directors before the conference began in earnest. He already knew that without the owner they hadn't taken a decision side of the fence during the debates over mutant rights and even now didn't have a decisive position. He wanted to make a point that mutants weren't the same as abominations and if that took the whole of Bennett Inc.'s power to do it than that is what he would do.

Harry stood silently on the balcony for a good half an hour before he heard the gate creak as it swung open to admit a car. He looked down from his balcony along the drive and saw the awaited black BMW coming down the drive and to a stop on the gravel car park in front of the main doors. He turned and swept into his room and through to the corridor.

Only the East wing, or the front side of the building, was liveable at the moment since the rest of the building was still being brought out of its storage state. He almost ran down the stairs and through himself into Warren's arms. "God, I've missed you." Harry told his boyfriend.

"I know, I'm sorry." Warren hugged Harry back tightly. "I haven't had a chance to get away yet."

"Come on, lets go upstairs." Harry grabbed his hand and tugged him up the stairs. "Oh wait. Did you want something to drink or eat?"

"Um. I don't want to be any trouble." Warren said quietly though it still gave away his hunger.

"Take these stairs up to the top floor. Then wait in the third room on the right." Harry told him, giving him directions to his room before pushing him in front of him. "I'll go get us something and you can tell me what happened."

Harry turned and disappeared through a side door and into the kitchens almost running straight into Lex and Sandy on the other side of the door. "Hi guys. Sorry about that." Harry apologised for sending them out in the middle of the night.

"Don't worry about it. Besides we're on the clock." Sandy grinned forcing Harry to laugh. Harry listened to them chatter between themselves as he made a couple of quick sandwiches and two mugs of hot chocolate for him and Warren. "See you at eight, Harry." Sandy called out as Harry nudged open the door with his foot and slipped out.

He found Warren standing on his balcony shirtless with his wings almost fully open letting the chill wind ruffle his pure white feathers. Harry had to tap on a wing to get Warren to fold it to let him passed. He hadn't Warren the sandwiches and set to smoothing the out of place feathers on Warren's wings from a whole week without being able to fly. Harry spent most nights flying around the Manor's grounds, that was how Michelle, Sandy and Lex knew he was a mutant.

Harry straightened the last feather and briefly ran his hand along the wing joint sending a shiver through Warren just as he finished his second sandwich. He handed him the mug of hot chocolate before leaning on the stone railing with his own. He stared at Warren and waited.

"This is supposed to still be classified for the next three days." Warren told him eventually. "Worthington labs was researching a new drug. My father says it's a cure to mutation."

"And he told you to take it?" Harry said more than asked.

"I cant refuse." Warren looked close to tears.

"Yes you can." Harry told him. "He cant force a drug on you."

"I'm not like you Harry." Warren dropped his head. "I cant tell him no."

"Oh Warren." Harry sighed and stepped forward to hug his boyfriend, slipping his arms under the joints of his wings. He felt Warrens arms slip under his dressing gown and the white wings fold around to enclose them both. Harry kissed Warren gently on the base of his throat before settling his head on his chest listening to the taller boy's heart beat.

Neither was sure how long they stood there like that, possibly half an hour before Harry realised that Warren was shivering ever so slightly with some of his back exposed to the breeze. Harry pulled back and let Warren fold his wings as he smoothed a single tear from Warren's cheek.

"What am I supposed to do?" Warren asked. Harry didn't know what to say, he didn't want Warren to loose his wings but he also knew that Warren loved his father and couldn't go against him. Harry didn't want to force a rift between Warren and his father. He'd have to decide for himself.

"I don't know, Warren." Harry smiled gently before grabbing his hand. "Come on, lets get some sleep. I have a conference tomorrow with the Cabinet." Harry winced and Warren gave him a suddenly confused look. "We've been appealing against the Governments decision to seize our assets. I presume they want to give excuses."

Harry pushed Warren down onto the bed before shedding his gown and curling up into Warren's side with his head on his chest, letting the steady heartbeat lull him to sleep.

XOXOXOXOX

**The next morning, Bennett Aeronautics**

"You wanted us to convene earlier?" Rudolph asked in opening.

"Yes. I wanted to know something of the company and this seemed the best opportunity to ask." Harry said.

"What is it you wanted to know that you couldn't check the database or ask Kinas?" Jefferson asked.

"Your views on the mutants." Harry stated simply. He watched as many around the table looked at each other.

"As you probably already know," Rudolph began, "We sat on the fence during the first disputes."

"I know that." Harry nodded patiently, "What about now?"

"We have been staying away from anything that directly aids or disrupts the mutant population." Rudolph said, "We did not want to make an official recommendation without your permission."

"Then I shall tell you simply." Harry said. "May no part of Bennett Inc. do anything that is not in the best interests of the Mutant population."

"That's a very strong recommendation." Rudolph said simply, though he didn't sound too surprised.

"I am a mutant, and I am sure that many of our employees are also or at least related to one." Harry said with a stern look. There was a long pause as they turned to talk between themselves.

"We have no problem following those orders. Everyone here is cleared on the Region 6 projects." Rudolph said after a while referring to the Wizarding World. Everything to do with the Potter family and their businesses in the magical world was under Region 6 classification and only certain members of the company knew anything to do with it. "We were concerned that the British Wizarding world's views on mutants would translate over to you and therefore this company."

"It is a relief that you do not seem to share their view." Carl Morgan said.

Harry snorted. "Even if I was still a Wizard I would not share their view. As soon as they realised that I was a mutant they authorised my arrest in both the Wizarding and normal Worlds."

"The Cabinet member should be with us soon. Maybe we should find out what they want first and then continue this conversation." Rudolph suggested. Harry nodded his agreement and took a quick drink which he had to hurriedly put down again when the screen split on his laptop and a older man appeared.

"Good Morning, Mr. Bennett." The man greeted, "My name is Nigel Vallenti."

"Good Morning, Mr. Vallenti," Harry nodded, "This is my Board of Directors who I am sure some of which you already know." Harry kept his voice calm but was pleased with the lack of emotion that he could produce by drawing on his feelings about Warren and his father.

"I've been given permission from the Cabinet to brief you on a classified report." Vallenti told them. "Six months ago a Mutant, code named Leech, was discovered. He has a mutation that causes the healing of the mutant-gene within the body. Worthington Labs did tests on the mutant and found a way to utilise his genetic code to create a cure."

The man paused and Harry had to control his temper, "How does that connect to the seizing of Alcatraz Island?"

"As you can imagine, when this becomes public some of the mutants will not like the idea of a cure. We needed the most secure location possible to keep the mutant until he is no longer needed in the process." Vallenti told them.

"Perhaps if you stop calling it a cure as if mutation is a disease." Harry said but the man ignored him.

"I've been authorised to ask for your companies help in the manufacturing of this cure and its possible applications." The man asked.

Rudolph asked the question, being better at reading between the lines than Harry was. "What other applications do you mean, Mr. Vallenti?"

"As you can understand, some of the mutants are becoming more and more of a problem." He said, "We are putting the cure into a weapon and wish to know if you are willing to take more contracts for the manufacture of these defences."

Harry muted and blanked the representatives window so that he wasn't privy to the Boards discussions before looking at Rudolph in the screen. "What do you think, Harry?"

"Honestly?" Harry asked with a sad smile, "A cure is going to cause enough problems between the government and mutants even if said mutants have a choice. To take that choice away and create weapons that take away that gift is going too far."

"So that's a no then?" Jefferson asked with a smirk.

"That's a no from me." Harry said simply. "We'll put it to a vote though since I am biased about a weapon that would take my gift from me."

There were twenty people on the Board not including Harry. He received eighteen no's and two yes's though they were for financial reasons rather than moral ones. Harry reactivated the representatives window and looked at the representative.

"I'm afraid that we cannot support any course of action that treats the mutant population as an abomination." Harry said formally. "We will not aid you in turning this 'cure' into a weapon or anything that backs that goal."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Vallenti said.

"I'm sure you are." Harry tried not to snap before nodding sharply at the man before he closed the window. Harry turned to the Board. "I'm sure that our lack of aid will come to light as soon as this goes public. Can you write up an official statement that puts our position on this firmly on the Mutants best interests?"

"I've already got a good idea what to say." Rudolph told him. "If the press confront you on it, may I suggest sticking to what you just told Mr. Vallenti or pointing them towards the official statement."

Harry ended the conference after checking that there was nothing more to be said and closed the laptop with a sigh.

XOXOXOXOX

**The next day; Bennett Manor**

"Mr. Bennett?" Michelle called as she prodded open his door. Harry was seated on his bed with Warren playing a game of chess to pass the afternoon. His father had gone on a tour of Alcatraz island and Warren had refused outright to go with him.

"Come in, Michelle." Harry called and stood from his bed to meet her halfway. Warren was once again free of a shirt since he never normally got an opportunity to stretch his wings like Harry could so he always made the most of it around the Manor when there weren't work men around fixing up the rest of the building.

"There is a gentleman here to see you." She told him, Harry didn't miss the hesitation on the word Gentleman."

"Does he have a name?" Harry asked with a grin when she hesitated looking at both of their wings.

"Oh, yes. Sorry sir." She stammered out. "His name is Dr. Henry McCoy. He's waiting in the garden for you."

Harry looked at Warren to see if he was coming along. Warren thought for a while before standing. They both folded their wings tightly into their backs and slipped on their jackets that were kept hanging so that Michelle didn't ever come across them shrunk in size. Harry paused before leaving the room to grab his leather gloves and put them on just in case.

"Hey, Harry?" Warren asked as they walked around the top floor to the back set of stairs. "Isn't Dr. McCoy the mutant ambassador at the White House?"

"Yeah, I thought the name was familiar from somewhere." Harry stopped talking to think as they walked down the stairs. "He's the blue feral mutant I think. Perhaps he was the person your father took on a tour of Alcatraz Island."

"That makes sense." Warren nodded, "He would have undoubtedly wanted to check up on Jimmy's lifestyle."

"I'm not sure what I think of keeping a fifteen year old boy in a medical facility for research." Harry sighed. "Your fathers keeping to all of the rules though. I had my people check as soon as I realised he was there."

They stood for a second when they came into view of the ambassador where he stood in front of the pavilion in the middle of the rose garden. A rather British touch to the American land Harry thought. The man was blue, and hairy. They hadn't actually seen him before today although they had heard of him from reports.

"Dr. McCoy?" Harry asked as he and Warren came to a halt nearby. The man turned to look at them and smiled widely.

"Mr. Bennett." He greeted offering his rather large hand. Harry paused warily before remember that his gloves would prevent any contact. He grasped the hand and shook it firmly. The man frowned at Harry's use of gloves in such warm weather but shrugged it off mentally, people were welcome to their eccentricities after all. "And if I'm not mistaken, you are Mr. Worthington."

"Yes, Doctor." Warren took the man's offered hand and shook it briefly.

"I did not expect to see you here, Mr. Worthington." Dr. McCoy said in opening.

Harry took the lead rather than have Warren explain himself. "I invited him here, he is a close friend from when I was still in hiding in England."

"I'm guessing your father does not know of this friendship?" asked.

Though their didn't seem to be a lingering threat in the man's tone of voice Harry still stared at him hard. "And I don't see any reason, political, moral or business wise for him to find out." Harry challenged.

The man smiled a rather feral grin as if Harry had passed his little test somehow. "Neither do I." He said making Harry frown at him slightly. "Don't worry, I know what discretion means."

"So, Dr. McCoy?" Harry asked before gesturing for them to walk through the Rose garden to another section of the Garden, the Lily ponds. "What brings you here?"

"I've just been on a tour of Worthington Labs on Alcatraz Island and decided to pay a visit while in town." He said. Harry raised an eyebrow at him to show that he wasn't completely fooled by the vagueness. The Doctor continued, "I heard some rumours before leaving Washington that there had been some disagreement between Bennett Inc. and the Government over the 'cure' issue."

"I see you dislike the word cure as much as I do then." Harry said diverting around the unspoken question.

"I agree that it is a strong word, used by those that don't understand people like me." The Doctor admitted.

"If you don't mind me asking, Dr. McCoy." Harry began, "Are you going to take it?"

The man shook his head slowly, "I have lived my life like this, I am happy with being who I am."

"Understood." Harry nodded, his respect for the man growing, "My disagreement with the Government wasn't to do with the cure itself but rather the methods of it's application."

"I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean?" The Doctor frowned betraying himself. Harry realised that the man he was talking to obviously hadn't been told of putting the 'cure' in a weapon.

"I'm sorry, Doctor McCoy." Harry sighed. "I cannot afford to be accused of an act of treason at a time like this. If you haven't been told then I must ask you to question your own superiors and not mention that I hinted at anything."

The mutant frowned at him as Harry not so subtly placed a mental brick wall between his questions and Harry's answers. "Is it not risky to publicly defy the Government?" He asked eventually referring to the disagreement.

"It isn't public yet." Harry smiled, "I am sure when it is tomorrow then my company will have a lot to explain. However the Government can not risk losing our support outright, we hold to many key areas within their own research facilities and many of the support infrastructures to their military. To pull the plug on us would be disastrous to them."

"But why did you contest it so strongly?" He asked. "That's what is nagging at me. Most companies, even if they disagreed, would at least try to get part of the deal rather than throwing away the whole thing."

"I'm not most other companies, not only do I not need the extra contract but I have a personal grievance against anyone who would call mutation a disease that needs a cure." Harry decided to speak the truth and Warren, catching on, tensed up himself though Harry had no intention of betraying his boyfriend's secret.

"A personal grievance?" The Doctor asked suddenly looking shocked and suspicious.

"Indeed, Doctor," Harry smiled at the blue mutant. "My mutations might not be so clear on my face as yours but I assure you that having a ten foot wingspan is considered strange for most humans."

"You have wings?" The Doctor asked in surprise. "That isn't a gift I have seen before."

Harry shrugged before removing his gloves and shedding the jacket. He flexed his wings slightly and smirked at the mutant Ambassador. The Doctor reached out to touch the wings but Harry pulled them back not knowing whether to touch them would incite the same reaction as touching skin or not. Harry threw the jacket back over him but made sure not to do it up so that the inherent magic didn't activate to compress the wings. He felt rather uncomfortable but continued regardless.

"That is indeed and rather interesting turn of events." Doctor McCoy said slowly as he recovered from the surprise that the owner of the largest company on Earth was a mutant. He'd have to remember to tell the Professor tomorrow when he visited the school.

XOXOXOXOXOX

**Xavier Institute; The next day**

Henry McCoy was standing in Charles Xavier's office when Ororo walked in with Professor Xavier in his wheelchair at her side.

"Ororo!" Henry greeted her with a hug. He greeted the Professor before turning serious.

"I have news." Henry told him.

"Is it about Eric?" Charles Xavier asked referring to the mutant Magneto, still on the run since his escape from prison.

"No, though we have been making some progress on that front." Henry sighed as he fiddled with his glasses. "Mystique was recently apprehended."

"Who's the furball?" Came a rough voice from the doorway making them all turn to see the newest addition to the room.

Henry paused before introducing himself. "Hank McCoy." He told him, "Secretary of mutant affairs."

"Right." The new man said rather sarcastically. "A secretary." He glanced at Hank's clothing before continuing. "Nice suit."

"Henry," Charles took charge of the introductions. "This is Logan, he's our. . ."

"Wolverine." Hank interrupted with a playful smirk. "I hear you're quite an animal."

"Look who's talking." Logan retorted with a raised eyebrow. Hank just stared at him before Ororo brought the conversation back on track.

"You know Magneto's going to come get Mystique right?" She said more than asked.

"Magneto's not the problem." Hank said shocking everyone slightly, "At least not our most pressing one." He continued to sooth them before explaining. "A major pharmaceutical company has developed a mutant antibody. A way to suppress the Mutant X-gene."

"Suppress?" Logan asked.

"Permanently." Hank deadpanned. "They're calling it a cure."

They all just looked at each other for a moment as they let that sink in before Ororo lost her patience. "Well, that's ridiculous. You cant cure being a mutant." She said looking to Hank.

"Well, scientifically speaking. . ." He tried to get out but she cut him off.

"Since when did we become a disease?" She asked. "How could anybody in their right. . ."

She in turn was cut off by the Professor who had thus far been quiet since the matter was brought up. "Storm." He said quietly making her trail off. "They're announcing it now."

They broke up to watch the announcement on the TV. And although it was short it annoyed them all. Ororo and Hank settled on the sofa as it finished whilst Logan went to stare through the window.

"Who would want this cure?" She asked, "I mean, what kind of coward would take it just to fit in?"

"Is it cowardness to save oneself from persecution?" Hank asked diplomatically. "Not all of us can fit in so easily. You don't shed on the furniture." He joked to lighten the mood.

"For all we know the Government helped cook this up." Logan joined in, not being one to like the Military or the Whitehouse.

Hank turned in his seat to look at him. "I assure you the Government had nothing to do with the cure." Hank told them.

"I've heard that before." Logan muttered.

"The only thing that had to do with this is a new location for the labs." Hank said.

"I heard about that." Ororo spoke up. "They seized Alcatraz Island from Bennett Inc."

"I went to speak to Harry Bennett yesterday before I left San Francisco." Hank said and Charles looked suddenly much more interested but they were interrupted when Rogue walked through the door. Her black hair, streaked with the one stripe of white, hanging loosely in her rush to speak to them.

"Is it true?" She asked as soon as she was in the office. "They can cure us?"

"Yes, Rogue." Charles said though he didn't seem happy about it. "It appears to be true."

There was an awkward pause as the adults waited for another to speak. Eventually Ororo was the one to speak up. "No, Professor." She said pointedly. "They cant cure us." She stood from the sofa and walked towards Rogue. "You wanna know why? Because there's nothing to cure. Nothing's wrong with you or any of us for that matter."

Rogue paused as if thinking before she spun a left the room. Hank turned to Ororo, "Would you wish for her to spend the rest of her life without the ability to touch another soul." Hank said before he suddenly snapped his head around as if remembering something.

"What is it, Hank?" Charles asked.

"She wears gloves to stop people from being drained doesn't she?" He asked and received a nod in return.

"I told you I met Harry Bennett yesterday." Hank said. "He's a mutant."

Charles looked pensive for a moment but allowed Ororo to asked the question. "What is he?"

"He has wings." He said simply. "Huge silver ones."

"He's a low level mutant then?" Logan joined in. Most of the mutants at the school were either 4th level mutants like themselves or were too dangerous to be exploring their gifts alone.

"No." Charles joined in. "He is a forth level mutant."

"So, I'm right then." Hank looked at Charles.

Logan and Ororo looked at each other. "Care to tell us what you're talking about?" Logan asked.

"Harry Bennett wore gloves when he shook my hand even though it was warm out." Hank explained. "He would have to have more than just wings to be a forth level mutant."

"You think that this Harry Bennett has the same powers as Rogue?" Logan asked.

"Yes." Hank said.

"I sensed him with Cerebro a few weeks ago." Charles admitted, "Though I could sense that he was a level four mutant I couldn't see what it was."

"I thought you could always sense their powers with that thing." Logan asked confused.

"Apart from Harry Bennett and Rogue I can." Charles admitted.

"So he drains people just like Rogue does?" Ororo asked Charles.

"We cant be sure until we ask him." Charles told them all.

"He told me that he had placed his whole company against anything to do with the cure." Hank told Charles with a frown. "Because he didn't agree with the governments application of the cure."

"Did you ask what he meant?" Ororo asked.

"He wouldn't tell me." Hank sighed. "He said that he wasn't ready to have his company accused of treason."

"That sounds ominous." Ororo muttered.

"As bad as it sounds we have other problems to deal with. Mr. Bennett can wait until afterwards." Charles pointed out before they settled to talk more about what Magneto would do about this cure.

XOXOXOXOX

End Chapter


	6. Defying Nature

Wings of an Angel

Chapter 6; Defying Nature

**Bennett Manor; San Francisco**

Harry and Warren were in the Rose garden again. It was the morning after the odious announcement of the Drug that so many were calling a Cure and the world was already in an uproar. Already there were reporters crashing down on Bennett Aeronautics after somebody in Worthington Inc had told a reporter that Bennett Aeronautics were against the Cure, probably at the orders of Warren's father. Crowds of anti-mutant protesters were gathering outside the building and Harry had been forced to pull his security forces from all the business under his control in the San Francisco to defend against the random attacks although the police were 'officially' helping.

He was about to leave to publicly arrive at his besieged office but Warren had protested and they were now standing in the midst of the roses again just as they had been yesterday but this time it was without Doctor McCoy.

"Spit it out, Warren." Harry said gently.

"I've got to go back." Warren said after several attempts at understandable speech.

"Back to you father?" Harry asked and received a nod. "Well I guessed you would."

"You're not mad?"

"Of course I'm not but why did you keep me from going to work for that?" Harry asked sensing that there was something going unspoken.

"You know he wants me to be the first to take the drug." Warren said, Harry waited him out as he hesitated. "I'm going to take it."

Harry felt like he had just been punched in the stomach. "Why?" He managed to croak out.

"I cant defy my father over something like this." Warren explained, Harry opened his mouth to interrupt but Warren continued regardless. "He's looked after me since I was born. I owe it to him to do what he says. He's only trying to do what's best for me."

"And stripping you of your wings is what's best for you?" Harry snapped rather more violently than he planned.

"It wont be so bad, I'll get a chance to be like everyone else." Warren told Harry pleadingly, "I can be normal."

"I don't care if you're normal. I like you the way you are." Harry told him angrily annoyed that his boyfriend couldn't see his way of thinking.

"Why does it matter if I'm normal or not to you?" Warren was getting angry in his turn and Harry could see the feelings of betrayal nagging at his face.

Harry shrunk his jacket and stashed it in his pocket in fury. "If you want to defy Nature than you go ahead!" He yelled angrily before flaring his wings violently and flapping them once.

"Why does it matter whether I have wings or not?" Warren argued heatedly. "We can see be together!"

In response Harry lashed out and gripped Warren painfully on the bare skin of his wrist. "I cant be with someone who's normal." Harry said rather more quietly before he released the rapidly bruising wrist and shot into the air. By the time Warren could recover enough to follow Harry was already inside the mansion.

Harry watched through the corridor window as Warren retreated into the house and presumably to the front. He knew that either Sandy or Lex would run him into the city with one of the other cars. Harry stared out at the garden as it stretched downwards to the small lake almost half a mile distant.

He didn't want Warren to clip his wings but it was up to Warren and he knew that if he had argued any further he might have done something he regretted like kidnapping his boyfriend so he couldn't leave. If Harry believed in anything it was in a person freedom of choice and if Warren chose to follow his fathers wishes then Harry would try to be their for him but it was hard to see the first thing that had gone truly right in his life fall apart without being able to do anything about it.

"Harry?" Michelle's voice interrupted his brooding. He turned to look at her calmly. "Mr. Worthington just left, Sandy is going to take him back to his home." She obviously knew something was wrong and Harry wasn't shocked when she reached out with a cloth to wipe at his cheeks. He hadn't even realised that he had cried since it had been so long since he had.

Harry folded his wings and donned his jacket before leading the way towards the main entrance to leave. "Did the package from Gringotts arrive?" Harry asked Lex as he walked into the large foyer.

"Yeah, its in the kitchen." Lex told him. Harry walked straight that way and spied the box sitting innocently on the table. He opened it and pulled out the black suit within it. The black trousers were normal but the dark green, white and black shirt and black suit jacket along with the silver, black and green ties were all enchanted like his original jacket. To hide his wings and to hide themselves at his command.

He quickly changed into the suit with the dark green shirt and silver tie before rejoining Lex and Michelle in the entrance way. "How do I look?" He asked with a smile. Michelle gave him a sympathetic look before altering the lay of his tie and his shirt's collar.

"You look fine, Harry." She told him. "Good luck today, just remember if someone asks you a question you don't want to answer just refuse to answer. The media are playing you as an allusive mastermind and it's an image that doesn't hurt your image."

Harry nodded, grateful for her advice. One of the reasons that she was head of the household was that she had a degree in media studies and was a whiz at getting the right image when needed.

"Come on, Harry." Lex told him. "We're going to be late."

They were soon pulling out of the manor and through a crowd of reporters that the manor security were keeping at bay. "Did Warren get out without being seen?"

"Sandy took the Porsche through the underground tunnel." Lex told him referring to a road that branched out of the underground parking and under the fence to a house about half a mile away. It allowed anybody to leave or enter the manor without being seen by reporters and only a few people knew about it.

"Good." Harry muttered to himself before letting his head fall back against the head rest of the limo's back seat as the half hour ride slipped passed.

"Are you sure you want to go through the front door?" Lex asked him as two police cars started driving down the road into the mob outside the front entrance of Bennett Aeronautics in front of the limo to clear the way. A line of police and his own security closed in behind the limo to stop the crowd from over coming the limo.

"Yes, Lex." Harry said for the sixth time since they'd entered the city. "This is the whole point. I'm making a point not sneaking through the back door like a coward."

They pulled to a stop and Harry waited as the head of security for the office building made his way from the door of the building to his car door to open it. Harry stood and looked around the crowd. The din of shouting and screaming made it difficult to hear anything in particular but the anti-Bennett banners made their ideas very clear. He started walking towards the doors and noticed a knot of reporters lining the right of the path, allowed through security because of the press badges they wore but stopped from approaching him because of his men lining the walk.

"Why are you against the cure?" One shouted though there was a certain tone in his voice that made it clear that he didn't expect a reply. Harry had never answered a question before unless it was in a formal press conference and that's why the reporters were so shock that they stopped bustling for attention when he turned to look squarely at the woman who had spoken.

They didn't let him answer though before they recovered enough to continue shouted questions, both relevant and irrelevant to the situation. He ignored the others and locked eyes with the woman who had first spoken, he raised an eyebrow and she loudly re-voiced her question. He stepped forwards slightly flanked by Nigel, the head of security and two of his best men. The reporters went silent as he raised his hand.

"I'm not against the drug that Worthington Inc. has come up with only its terming as a Cure." Harry told them simply before elaborating. "Mutants should be given the choice if the option is there but they shouldn't feel compelled to take the drug by crowds such as these that want to force their opinions on others." He said gesturing at the surrounding masses. Even as he spoke a small knot punched a police officer and barged through the knew gap but were taken down by his own security rather roughly. Harry turned back to the reporters to see that many of their cameras had gotten the image. "And in no way whatsoever should the drug be forced onto them."

"The cure is optional." One reporter said. Harry looked at him with a small smirk.

"Is it?" He said calmly thinking of Warren somewhere within Worthington Inc. offices.

"What do you mean?" Asked the first woman but Harry was already turning to leave, he ignored their other questions and slipped inside the building.

He heard a sigh of relief from his escorts and noticed how eerily silent the lobby was. "Where is everyone?" Harry asked though he guessed he knew the answer already.

"Kinas relocated today's operations to the Airfield." Nigel told him. "The executives are still here but everyone else is working where it is safe."

Harry winced at the commotion. "And so the true nature of Worthington's schemes come into play." He muttered before walking to the lift.

He spent most of the morning with Kinas and the other executives deciding what to do about the most recent bad publicity. Harry was distracted though and constantly found himself standing by the large windows of the board room and staring out across the city. Several times he found himself staring at the tall building a mile away that he knew was Worthington Inc.'s head office. Somewhere in that building was Warren waiting for his father to defy Nature and strip him of his wings.

At twelve he would lose his boyfriend, the only good thing that had happened to him in his life and he had only known him for just over two weeks.

"Mr. Bennett?" Kinas said for obviously the second or third time, snapping Harry's attention back from the window and back to the five people around the desk.

"Sorry." He muttered.

"We were just deciding that it was time to break apart for lunch." Vanhue told him.

"Sure." Harry nodded and waited as they all filed from the room. "Vanhue?" He called the man back. "I'm going out for lunch. If I'm not back by two assume I went back to the Manor. I'm going to try to get some personal work done."

"Sure." Vanhue nodded and left the room.

Harry called Lex from his mobile and asked him for a lift out through the mob. Lex drove him into out of the building in the Porsche and through the underground car parking so that he could avoid the multitude of people outside.

Harry got him to let him out a block from Worthington Plaza and he donned sunglasses to hide his eyes as well as a beanie hat. He'd already changed into his leather jacket and jeans whilst they drove so now he looked nothing like the allusive mastermind owner of Bennett Inc.

"Why don't you go and find a café of something to have lunch in?" Harry asked Lex through the front window after he was fully disguised, subtle as the disguise was. Lex nodded and told him he would wait at a café called Deguardia's on the next street across until two before returning to the Manor.

Harry nodded before walking down the street. The crowds were immense with only half an hour till the official opening of the clinic in Worthington Plaza that would give the drug out to mutants. He slipped into an alley opposite the long lines of mutants in the street and climbed a fire escape that had been left down. Soon he found himself on the flat roof of the eight story building. He stood just back from the edge but he had a perfect view of the whole south face of Worthington Plaza.

The windows were all mirrored but he knew that even if they weren't the sun was in the wrong place to see through any of them anyway. He stared for a good half an hour before anything happened. A window on the third to top floor exploded outwards as an object fell out of it. Screams began on the ground and people began to scatter as the object fell like a rock.

Harry realised what it was an instant before Warren's wings burst outwards and caught the rushing air. He glided out away from the building barely missing the heads of the mutants queuing on the ground. Harry slipped his jacket in his jeans pocket before spreading his own wings and taking to the air. He had to strain his wings a bit to gain enough altitude to come up on Warren's side but luckily his target hadn't tried to gain any more altitude then his glide would give him.

Harry met Warren's eyes but neither tried to speak and instead focused on lazily gaining altitude as they soared out towards the bay. They couldn't have really spoken much in the strong winds and they could reach out for the other. They just settled for flying together with the occasional brush of their wing tips the only sign that they were on speaking terms.

They flew for most of the day and it wasn't until almost eight in the evening that they landed on Harry's balcony at home. An exhausted Harry folded his wings gently before turning to look at an equally tired Warren. Warren looked at the ground but didn't fold away his wings like Harry had.

Harry stepped forwards and lifted his chin with a finger before pulling the shaking Warren into his arms. They stayed that way for a few minutes before Harry pulled back and led Warren into his room and lay him down on his bed. Warren folded his wings as they went and Harry spooned out next to his boyfriend so that they were face to face with their wings acting like a small tent.

He lay his head under Warren's chin before he shut his eyes already hearing Warren's breath slowing down as he slipped into a sleep needed both emotionally and physically.

"I love you." Harry whispered before finally succumbing to the repetitive sound of Warren's breathing.

XOXOXOXOX

End Chapter


	7. Taking Sides

Wings of an Angel

Chapter 7; Taking Sides

**Bennett Mansion**

Harry and Warren spent the next morning lazing about talking about everything in general. Harry had called in that morning to the office to tell them that he wouldn't be in and had been given several reports about the riots around the building and around over companies belonging to them.

It wasn't until lunch time that they made their way to the kitchen to grab something to eat but they'd only been there ten minutes when Michelle walked in urgently and switched the television on with a pale look. "Sirs." She said with a rush of breath. "I think you should be watching this."

The screen resolved itself into the image of an anchorman behind a desk. Harry groaned, he'd never liked the media or newspapers but he dreaded to think what CNN had that would warrant Michelle's reaction.

"_The exact numbers of deaths are unknown to us as of yet but initial reports state that the fireball destroyed everything within the complex." _Behind the man the picture changed to that of a smoking building. Emergency crews were working in the foreground even thought he image was a still. "_For those just joining us; A terrorist attack has killed at least ten people in San Francisco just half an hour ago. Preliminary reports state that this was the action of a young male mutant with the ability to control fire._

"_Anti-mutant protesters are appealing to the government that the Cure should be made into a weapon and administered to all mutants as a sure-fire way to control them. 'Only when they are human again should we treat them as human beings.' One spokesman said._

"_Worthington labs has yet to comment on the attack, nor their future plans but Government officials have stated that they will support any action that leads to the continued safety of the American people."_

The phone ran and Michelle answered it as the reporter went on to describe the outcome of the attack. She handed Harry the phone with a whispered 'Directors.'

"_Are you watching the news?" _Rudolph's voice came across the receiver. It was clear, meaning that he was on his own.

"Yeah," Harry muttered, confused that he was getting a call about it.

"_We have reporters knocking on our doors wanting us to take a stand point on this and although we would normally sit on the side lines I don't know if we can on this one."_

"What do you mean?" Harry asked with a frown.

"_We were just tipped off from within CNN, they have pictures of you and Warren flying yesterday from when he broke that window. Our contact managed to keep it from going live so far but it is only a matter of time." _Rudolph pointed out.

"Damn!" Warren looked at him sharply so he explained. "A photographer caught us yesterday." Warren looked torn for a second before he landed his head heavily on the table. Harry swapped the phone into his other hand and rest his hand on the back of Warren's neck to show that he didn't blame him.

"_We've got a choice." _Rudolph continued. "_We hold enough power at CNN to shut the report down but there is always a chance that someone will sell the story to another channel, one that we don't control and then we will be in more trouble."_

"You think we should back up the report don't you." Harry stated. "Give it official backing so that we come out the good guys." Harry knew it was what the directors wanted since it was the best in the long run but he knew that such a move would only get the attention of people he'd rather not know about him.

"_We can use this attack to counter the idea of the cure as weapons, bring you into the open and side the company with the mutant welfare activists."_

"And the board is agreed that taking sides is a good plan?" Harry asked sceptically.

"_If we don't then it could get much worse. There are just as many people out there that side with the mutants than those that don't."_

Harry paused to think for a moment before he sighed. "Do everything you think is necessary."

"_Might I suggest you lay low for the time being?" _Rudolph suggested though it was obvious he already had something in mind.

"What did you have in mind?" Harry asked.

"_A partner in a private school in the North died yesterday. We don't own much of the school, only gave part of the funding to start it. We feel that your travelling there and pledging our further support might prevent it from closing."_

"You sound like this school is more important than most." Harry pointed out. It wasn't often that Bennett Inc. gave money towards a project and didn't have an active role.

"_This was a project of you grandmothers." _Rudolph told him. "_She saw the need for a school such as this one in the future and she was right. The school only excepts powerful mutants, most above level 2 but with the odd exception depending on the child's situation. It would be an ideal place for you to lay low."_

Harry thought for a second before agreeing. If there was any chance that the school would close he would put his foot in the proverbial door and force it open again regardless of the cost. "Can you send me everything you have on the school so that I can sort things out on the journey?"

"_I'll make sure it's on the plane ready for you at the test range."_ Rudolph told him with a chuckle before hanging up, probably to write a speech. Harry just hoped he was gone by the time it hit the fan.

XOXOXOXOX

**Bennett corporate jet**

Harry and Warren were half way to the school named 'Xavier's School for Gifted Children, ' a rather ironic name if you asked Harry, when the hostess switched on the TV for Harry when they got a warning call.

CNN were about to release the pictures of Harry and Warren flying over San Francisco. And Rudolph was about to admit it to be true and they would finally take their side in this war. Shifting their rather large corporate weight enough so that the governments of England and America could no longer ignore mutant rights.

The anchorman from the report that morning appeared on the screen as a rolling headline across the bottom announced the news as 'Just In' and 'Important.' '_Good Afternoon, this is Nigel Bateman of CNN news. Information has just come to light that could dramatically change the way we view mutants within our society.'_

Warren reached over to grasp Harry's hand tightly in his own, not for Warren's sake but for Harry's. Harry turned to look at him with a smile. "It cant be worse then before." Harry's smile dropped quickly as he was reminded of Ron and Hermione.

Warren was prevented from speaking when Harry waved back to the screen, only a few seconds had passed and all the man had done was repeat the message. "_Bennett Inc. arguably the largest Corporation in the world has sat on the sidelines of the last decades troubles between mutants and humans. They have offered assistance where necessary and acted in a way that has won over many of our hearts. They're example has led many issues around the world to be resolved. Our question today is whether they can do this again.'_

"_Yesterday, at the public opening of what has been dubbed the 'Cure,' although Bennett Inc. has refused to condone such a term, a mutant escaped from the head offices of Worthington Corporation. This mutant, a winged human called an angel by many, was easily recognised by onlookers as Warren Worthington the third, son of the current director of Worthington Inc."_

An school photo of Warren appeared in the corner of the screen and Harry squeezed his boyfriends hand tightly. The man continued, "_Whilst Worthington Senior refuses to comment on the matter the 'Angel' has been positively identified by no less than ten people. What has caused much consternation is that only seconds after his escape from a twentieth floor window he was joined in the air by a second mutant with almost identical wings."_

The photo of the two of them flying appeared in the corner of the screen. It was a bit hazy but their forms and more importantly their wings were easily recognisable against the clear sky. Harry groaned slightly but knew that it would have eventually gotten out.

"_Eye-witness accounts recognised the second man as being that of the newly returned sole owner of Bennett Incorporated." _The picture changed to that of Harry behind a podium at one of his more recent press-conferences. '_When asked, Bennett Inc. freely admitted that their owner was a mutant. However that was not all that Bennett Inc. told us. This is a recording sent to us by the Bennett Board of Directors."_

The screen changed to that of Rudolph. His name was placed at the bottom and slowly slide off the screen as it was followed by the other names of the Directors. "_We admit that Harry Bennett is a mutant with the same amount of pride that we released the knowledge of his return less than two weeks before. He had no intention of hiding his true nature from the world and has been moving the company into a more direct position with relation to the mutant-human position since before he publicly returned._

"_As most already know we already employ almost ten thousand mutants across the globe and that number has risen by almost a thousand for each of the last four years. Our mutant employees can all testify that they are treated with far more respect by this company than in any other place around the world._

"_That said, Bennett Inc. has decided that a more active political position is required due to current circumstance across America and in other parts of the world. Bennett Inc. will, from this point onward, fully support any action that leads to a fully equal society between mutants and humans. As such we have already terminated six contracts between ourselves and various parts of the United States Government as their objectives threaten this goal."_

Harry had to grin, there would be some rather annoyed people at the Pentagon soon. "_Also any mutant or human under threat due to this situation is welcome within any of five hundred refugee centres being set up around Northern America where food and shelter is available."_

The image of Rudolph disappeared to be replaced by the anchorman again. "_We are receiving information regarding the centres right now. And you can contact the number at the bottom of your screen for information regarding the location or rules of these centres."_

He paused briefly to listen to something in his earpiece before a small grin appeared on his face. "_Report are now beginning to come to our attention. Several military facilities have gone into lockdown due to the sudden withdrawal of Bennett Inc. financial and logistical support. Confusion seems to have rippled through the Pentagon and the President has been called back from a family dinner. It seems that Bennett Inc.'s words have had more of an effect on this country then we could have imagined."_

Harry turned down the volume but left it high enough so that they could still hear the reports as they came in so that he and Warren, who had been trained in business by his father, went through the file they had on the school on Harry laptop which he took everywhere with him. Among the most important things reported on the TV were his cargo ships, contracted to ship Military supplies around the world, returning to home ports. The same was happening across the country, always things that tied with the mutant acts though never in a way that would jeopardise the safety of the population. Flight companies that Bennett Inc. had rights over came to an almost halt as they refused anybody suspected of acts against mutant rights. And the effect that Harry really looked forward to was revealed an hour after the first announcement. Several Senators within congress were firmly entrenched within Bennett Inc. and were speaking up against certain actions by the government.

Harry was also glad that not only was CNN worried about offending him but the anchorman seemed to personally agree with Bennett Inc.'s move since he was constantly putting across the effects in the best light possible. Harry made a note to do something nice for the man.

They came down for a smooth landing an hour and a half after the announcement and Harry was happy to stretch out on the runway of the privatised airstrip before being rather quickly shoved into the backseat of a black BMW along with his boyfriend.

The trip from the airfield to the school was a short one and soon Harry was stepping out of the BMW with Warren behind him. They had changed out of their black leather, magical, jackets on the plane and into more casual gear since hiding their wings was no longer necessary unless they wanted to remain low-key. Harry, however, still wore his leather gloves so that he could shake peoples hands without having an effect.

The school had an unnatural hush to it as they walked through the unlocked front doors. There wasn't a child in sight and Harry had to remind himself that not only was this school small in the way of students but also that Professor Xavier had just died and that the school would still be in mourning. There wasn't anybody about to ask for direction so Harry just slipped through corridors with Warren at his heals looking for signs of life. The had just entered what looked like a corridor with classrooms when a flicker of movement in a room at the end of the hall caught their attention.

They closed on the room and heard voices within though they were too muffled by the wooden walls to be made sense of. Harry knocked even as he stepped through the open door.

"Come in." A woman called out as Harry walked around the door and into the room. Three people were in the room. Harry recognised one instantly as Doctor Henry McCoy who had visited his house only a few days before. Another woman stood in front of the fireplace, she looked at them confused as to who they were. She had white and black hair and had been the one to call out to them. Another man stood at the back of the room with messy hair and a rather feral look. Two boys and a girl also sat on a sofa against the wall, obviously old enough to join the topic that was being discussed. By the looks on their faces it was what Harry was here to discuss, keeping the school open.

"Doctor McCoy." Harry greeted pleasantly as the blue furry mutant stood from his seat. "I admit that I didn't expect to see you here though it does figure."

"Mr. Bennett!" Dr. McCoy smiled and stepped forwards quickly to shake Harry's gloved hand. "Mr. Worthington? I gather that the reports on the TV are true then?"

"Indeed. Are you willing to introduce us to everyone else or shall I attempt it myself?" Harry asked with a small quirk of his lips to lighten the mood.

"Oh! Sorry!" The large man smiled back before turning slightly to face the two adults. "This is Ororo Monroe who teaches Languages and Sciences here and this is Logan." He turned the other way to the two boys and the girl who were all around Harry and Warren's age. "These are three of our students, Bobby, Kitty and Piotr."

"I'm Harry and this is Warren." Harry told them before feeling out around him. Each person in the world gave off a feeling and it was that which his power fed off of. For wizards it was like warmth, like that of holding a hot drink on a cold day. For normal humans it was the opposite, like holding a cooled drink in summer. Lastly, for mutants it was like a static charged that filled the air around them and energised him. Everybody had one or the other and all six of the people in the room, seven if you included Warren, had that static charge around them. "It's nice to be around so many mutants after so long."

"You can sense we're mutants?" Ororo asked him.

"I can, though I cant tell what the abilities are. Some are obvious like myself, Warren and Doctor McCoy, but others are just hints. You seem to bubble with energy that reminds me of a storm." He received a sharp grin in return and he knew he'd hit on the mark. He turned to the other man in the room. "I cant tell yours, its either very subtle or wouldn't give itself away." Finally he looked to the three his age who were looking at him as if he were a fortune teller. He looked firstly at the larger boy, then the shorter one before ending with the girl. "You feel like something immutable though I cant put my finger on what. You feel cold and you feel like the exact opposite of him." He said gesturing at the first boy."

They nodded to show that he was along the right tract and Ororo seemed to offer to explain. "My ability is controlling the weather but my penchant is with storms. Logan's is the ability to cure any injury to himself. Piotr's is an impenetrable shield around him and immense strength whilst, as you said, Kitty's is the ability to pass through any solid matter. Bobby can control ice."

"Interesting." Harry nodded.

"You're like Rogue aren't you?" The one called Bobby suddenly asked. Harry looked at him blankly making him go red before explaining. "She could drain others powers or energy. She always wore gloves to stop her touching others by accident."

Harry tugged on his gloves lightly as if reassuring himself that they were still there. Warren placed his hand on Harry upper arm to remind him that no matter what they would always be together. "I can absorb and control the abilities of anyone I touch. Warren is the only exception that I have ever met."

"That's odd." Ororo muttered more to herself than anyone else.

"Whereas I drain energy from humans, I only drain the abilities of mutants. Since I already have the wings then my ability recognising the pointlessness of draining Warren's." Harry lectured before picking up on something said beforehand by Bobby. "You said she _wore_ gloves. Why not now?"

"She left yesterday morning." Bobby seemed unhappy about that. "We think she went to get that cure."

"You shouldn't blame her. I can imagine how she must feel. I at least have Warren whom I can touch. Does she?"

Bobby shook his head. "I just wish she would give us a chance to come up with something."

"Perhaps she will realise when she sees the state of the cities at the moment." Harry muttered. "I believe my actions have thrown most the of the countries infrastructure into complete chaos."

"Professor Xavier would be please to know that someone with as much power as you is on our side." Ororo told him. "But if you don't mind me asking, why _are _you here?"

"For starters, we were hoping to be able to hide out here for the time being. There are quite a few anti-mutant activists out there that would like to see me harmed. Not to mention the Brotherhood who wont like my helping the humans as well." Harry muttered.

"Ah…well you see." Ororo muttered sadly. "We were just discussing the school. We would like nothing more than to keep the school open and we could for the time being but we just don't have the funds without Professor Xavier's contributions to keep the school open indefinitely."

"That was the other reason why I am here." Harry told them with a smile. "He might not have mentioned it to anyone but when Professor Xavier started this school he needed extra funding and came to my Grandmother with the proposal, she helped to see it set up with our own funds. Even though Professor Xavier maintained full ownership of the school it was under the legal protection of Bennett Inc." Harry let that sink in. "That protection now comes into play. In times like these we cannot allow this school to shut. If anything it must be expanded."

"What are you saying?" Dr. McCoy asked and Ororo just got a hopeful look.

Harry smiled at the three on the sofa as they tensed up. "As long as this school caters for mutants in need then Bennett Inc. will ensure it has the funds needed to remain open."

XOXOXOXOXOX

End Chapter


	8. A War's End

Wings of an Angel

Chapter 8; A War's End

**Xavier's School**

Harry was to put it simple enjoying himself and he loved it. He had been happy every moment that he was with his boyfriend but there had always been something wrong with the picture, having to hide what they were. But now that the world knew that he was a mutant and that he and Warren were together they saw no reason to hide. Being at this school was like a dream to Harry, every student there accepted them for what they were and they could walk around with their wings exposed through t-shirts with laced up backs. They could fly for how ever long they wanted and play games as if they were the seventeen year olds they'd never been allowed to be.

They only had the one day though before something happened. Harry got a call from Bennett Aeronautics to warn him that the Golden Gate bridge had moved. He'd been shocked beyond worlds. His first thought was magic but he knew of no wizard that had the power to move that much concrete and metal.

A mutant was the only option and Magneto was the only mutant on Bennett Inc.'s database that had the power necessary to carry it out. He and Warren rushed through the complex even as a private jet was being prepared on the local airfield for them to return to Bennett Aeronautics' head office. Such a dramatic event would require his assistance.

They almost ran into Ororo, Logan, Hank, Bobby, Piotr and Kitty who were rushing towards one of the elevators that led into the underground complex. Harry grabbed Warren's hand and tugged him backwards so they weren't seen. Warren went to say something but Harry placed two finger his lips to silence him. The group was talking about Magneto attacking Alcatraz labs to kill the boy called Leech.

As soon as the group was out of earshot, Harry pulled his fingers away from Warren's lips and leant up to kiss him lightly to apologise for his rudeness. As soon as he pulled back Warren gasped. "We have to save my dad!"

"And Jimmy." Harry nodded. "The jet's waiting, let's go."

They didn't have to run upstairs to grab their Gringotts jackets since they always kept them in their jeans pockets so they flew quickly over the two miles to the airfield and set down right by the Lear Jet. As soon as they were inside Harry ordered it of the ground in a rare example of impatience. The pilots excepted it easily enough and due to Harry's quick arrival there was no steward to linger around. Harry and Warren talked together about what they were about to do and took the time to spend together since they were about to walk, or rather fly, into a war zone.

It was just becoming dark when they touched down on Bennett Aeronautics' test range and Harry and Warren didn't waste time in taking to the skies again to reach the centre of San Francisco and the strange sight of the Golden Gate bridge linking the once isolated Alcatraz island with that of the main land. Masses of people surged around where the bridge met the island and Harry pointed to where trucks were rolling to a stop at the main land end of the bridge.

The soared over the island to see what was happening. What looked like hundreds of people lay on the ground unconscious but what was worse was that they looked to be mutants except Harry could sense nothing from them. The Drug had been used as a defence but it didn't anymore. His new mutant friends stood were fighting to protect the human guards from the attacking mutants.

As they watched all hell broke loss as flaming cars began flying through the sky. There was nothing that Harry, nor Warren, could do since neither of them had a weapon worth using and no fighting experience. Harry could use their abilities against them but he'd have to get close enough first.

"Harry!" Warren yelled in shock as he saw three mutants tugging his father onto the roof of one of the taller buildings. Harry swept back his wings and angled gently down as they both closed in on the area. The three mutants pushed Worthington against the stone wall before shoving him over. Harry collapsed his wings at the same time as Warren but flared them sooner to pull out as he saw Warren grab his father by the arm and flare his own not a few metres from the floor.

Warren pulled them both into the air with his wings and Harry came up underneath them both in case Warren let go as he watched the events below them. The cars had stopped falling from the sky and the war seemed to be other except that hundreds more human troops armed with drug filled weapons had appeared upon the bridge. "Warren! Get out of here. Get to the office!" Warren didn't think twice before rolling his wings to change direction.

A wave of power so strong that it nearly knocked Harry out swept across the field and Harry watched in shock as people exploded into pieces. This was way beyond Harry but he did do something to help. He say the child, Jimmy, running beside Kitty away from the bridge as people behind them exploded. They reached the edge of the island just as a wall of water exploded up from around it. Harry collapsed his wings and swept down to them grabbing Jimmy and clutching him to his chest so as not to effect his wing sweeps.

Instantly he saw his mistake as pain ripped through his back and his wings struggled to remain moving. He reeled as his body screamed at him and a cry was torn from his throat. He could hear Jimmy yelling something at him but he couldn't understand it. His sight went white as he felt something that he hadn't felt in a month rise from the very core of his body and sweep through his draining power and his wings protecting him against this newest attack. Protecting him from Jimmy's curing abilities.

He saw again and felt more alive then he had ever before. His magic throbbed through him like a fire just charged with oxygen and he grinned as his wings, previously locked into place in his pain, beat with life again. He grinned down at Jimmy's shocked face before rolling upside down and dropping towards Kitty. He grabbed her around the shoulder and she strung her own arm across his but with two people Harry could barely get altitude.

His magic was surging through him, powerful beyond anything even as he felt his mutant gift draining Kitty's energy since she was temporarily human. Jimmy seemed unaffected by the contact but Kitty was suffering fast and he knew he had only a few seconds to get rid of her before she fell unconscious. He'd never apparate before but with so much magic straining to do something in it's new release he disappeared with a crack that echoed in his ears and all three were suddenly gliding steeply above the top of the sky scraper that was his office. He allowed them to drop before flaring his wings and tumbling onto the helipad.

They rolled away from each other in the crash and he heard Kitty groan as not only her energy but her mutant powers returned to her. "Remind me not to touch either of you again. Especially not at the same time."

Harry chuckled even before groaning as his wings protested the motion of standing and folding them. He'd definitely damaged one of his tendons or muscles in his right wing by carrying the two, especially after the power fight with Jimmy's power. Jimmy, in his white slacks and t-shirt just stared around at the helipad in wonder. "Why didn't I take your wings?" He asked after a second.

"My magic protected me." Harry told him, not caring about secrecy since he knew Jimmy had felt it shielding him. Harry was about to elaborate when four men with guns ran from the small building that doubled as helipad control and roof access. He rounded on them and his wings expanded slightly in the cold breeze. "Bring some blankets and then take them down to the executive room." Harry ordered and as soon as they noticed who he was two ran off for blankets whilst one went over to Jimmy and Kitty to lead them downstairs. The last came towards him.

"Sir? Do you need something else?" He asked.

Harry sighed. "I'm waiting for Warren and Mr. Worthington. Please ensure that there is a spare blanket for Mr. Worthington and send word to the cafeteria that I need enough hot food and drink for two dozen people as soon as they can get it to the executive rooms."

The guard nodded before walking off. Harry thought about flying to meet Warren but he knew that his boyfriend would be able to cope with the additional weight having had more practice with his wings than Harry. Years more practice rather than the months Harry had had. There was also the fact that his right wing seemed to groan with pain even as he thought about it.

As he watched the walls of water around Alcatraz, visible even from here, fell back into the water and Harry felt his senses telling him that whatever had caused those power waves was dead.

Harry smiled happily as a strangely shaped bird appeared out of the dark, it quickly turned into Warren carrying a rather pale looking Mr. Worthington. Warren landed heavily and his father almost collapsed as his feet were forced to take their own weight.

"Warren!" Harry called as he run up. A security guard with a uzi ran up behind him. It seemed that news of the attack had spread and they were going to let him out of their sight. He was carrying a blanket however. "Are you ok?"

"How did you get here so fast?" Warren asked. "And what's wrong with your wing?"

Harry glanced at his wing and realised that it was in fact sitting at a strange angle. "I hurt it trying to lift Jimmy and Kitty at the same time." Harry explained whilst ignoring Warren's father much to the man's annoyance.

Warren let the other question slide since he knew that Harry would tell him as soon as they were alone. "Could you take my father downstairs please?" Warren asked the guard who only moved once Harry nodded.

Mr. Worthington didn't seem to want to leave his son alone on the roof of his rivals building in the presence of his rival but he didn't have much of a choice and left with the guard. Harry was instantly crushed in a hug and Warren's face was crushed into the side of his neck as he received a kiss. Harry hugged him back just as fiercely. "I thought…" Warren stuttered and Harry felt a single tear fall onto his neck. "When I saw all that water…"

"I know, love." Harry shushed him and pulled back slightly to kiss the taller boy on the lips. Harry then told Warren everything that happened, including his magic, why his wings were hurt and his apparition across the city with his two guests.

Harry led Warren down to the executive suite and they arrived at the same time as four catering staff from the night shift rolled in trolleys covered in hot food. Warren paused and whispered quietly to Harry. "He's going to want to talk to me privately."

"I can go with you if you want or you can just ignore him." Harry pointed out. "It's my building, you can do what you like."

Warren nodded. "I think I have to talk to him alone." Harry twisted and kiss his boyfriend again before they split up. Warren went to his father whilst Harry met Kitty and Jimmy by the food.

He helped himself to half a bacon sandwich before leaving the room leaving orders with the guards to watch over Warren. He went to his office and called David Kinas and Vanhue and told them what he wanted to do. Within the hour every resource at Bennett Inc.'s disposal, which was a lot thanks to the recent shutting down of several military contracts, would be tidying up the mess and searching for survivors in the wreckage.

He returned to find Warren and his father alone in one of the directors offices with a stoic looking guard watching them. He explained that he'd have to leave again to Warren before leaving him with a brief kiss to show Warren's father that his son was with him regardless. He found Jimmy and Kitty back in the executive lounge laughing with their guards and eating the food.

"Kitty, I'm taking a helicopter with the rescue crew in two minutes." Harry announced. "If you want to come help me find your friends we need to go now."

She stood and nodded eagerly and Jimmy nodded too. "Sorry, Jimmy, but at the moment I need you to stay here." Jimmy tried to interrupt. "I don't need it publicly known that the head of Bennett Inc. just kidnapped a ward of his rivals. Until my lawyers get here and sort things out I need you to stay here and decide what you want."

"What do you mean?" Jimmy asked.

"You can either stay as ward of Worthington or I can file for a transfer of your representation to me." Harry explained and saw Jimmy's sigh. "I've already explained everything to a man named Vanhue, he'll come and tell you everything as soon as he arrives here. In the end it is up to you."

Harry and Kitty were soon flying over the city in a helicopter, the same type used by the military. Six Chinooks with his logo on were also flying with him full of rescue workers, tools and medical supplies as well as food and water. They landed in every available space and even before they had emptied more arrived and a systematic search was started. Nobody but the authorities were allowed around his men. Harry directed his pilot to fly his own helicopter low across the bridge as two men in the back, aided by Kitty, dropped flares out of the side doors down onto the now dark bridge.

Harry kept an eye out for the mutants but knew that he'd find them on the island. As they came into sight of the island Harry gasped. The buildings were gone, nothing remained but debris. Not even bodies were left. A small cluster of people were gathered around searching through the rubble and Harry signalled his pilot to set her down. As soon as he and Kitty were clear it rose again to drop flares around the island before heading back to the main land. Four Chinooks thunder over before circling down and find cleared patches to land so they could search and Harry had to be impressed by the speed that Kinas had organised a whole fleet of Chinooks. Harry and Kitty rushed over to the small group. Two human soldiers were with the five mutants from Xavier's school and when Kitty arrived they broke out into happy grins.

Harry told the soldiers to head for the Chinook that had just set down not ten metres from where they stood and they nodded gratefully. "What happened?" Kitty cried.

"Jean went made and destroyed everything, we're lucky to still be alive." Ororo told them. "We thought you were dead!"

"Harry saved me and Jimmy and took us to his offices." Kitty told them.

"My men will take care of the rescue operation but you should all rest." Harry told them. "Once we get to my offices you can eat and sleep and decide what you want to do in the morning."

They nodded gratefully as they saw the men running around setting up flood lights and command tents whilst others picked through the rubble looking for survivors. Harry led them to one of the Chinooks and as soon as the pilot recognised him he quickly agreed to take the whole group back to Bennett Aeronautics. As Harry sat in the back with the others he smiled at them. "The war is over. The only question is what will happen next."

XOXOXOXOXOX

End Chapter


	9. A New Tide

Wings of an Angel

Chapter 9; A New Tide

**Bennett Aeronautics**

"Harry!" Warren almost shouted at him. "Would you stop moving and stay still!?"

Harry was trying to pace whilst his boyfriend tried to force him to stay still so that the onsite doctor could look over the muscles in his back and wing. Much to his annoyance he had the attention of everyone in the administrative lounge. There was the small fourteen year old Jimmy, fifteen year old Kitty and the two sixteen year olds, Bobby and Piotr who were all sitting in a clump drinking hot chocolate and eating sandwiches. The adults, Ororo and Logan watched him in amusement though they both looked rather stressed. Hank had opted to return to the new location of the Golden Gate bridge to do his diplomatic thing.

The Doctor prodded him. "God Damnit! Would you stop that! I sprained it, you know it, I know it and with Warren around everyone else knows it as well!" Harry snapped as pain lanced along it's length.

"Mr. Bennett." The Doctor sighed as he stepped back slightly as if expecting the wing to hit him on the head. "Everyone knows you have a sprain but you also have four bruised ribs and a torn ligament."

"How did I managed that one?" Harry spun on him but only got a shrug in response.

"So carrying two people and having a full body attack is a bad thing?" Harry raised an eyebrow at Warren sarcastically. He jumped as he was slapped over the arm rather harshly. "What was that for?"

"For joking about almost dying!" Warren snarled. "You knew what grabbing Jimmy would do but you still did it!"

"So what?" Harry twirled at him but winced as his wings tried to open. "Was I supposed to just leave him there!?"

Warren seemed to deflate and Harry followed suit. "Just promise not to do something like that again."

"I know. I wont." Harry sighed, before turning on the others allowing Warren to fold his injured wing carefully with caring touches. "What do you guys want to do?"

Ororo turned to look at him. "We need to get back to the school as soon as possible." She sighed. "We'd say and help out…"

"You have lots of children to look after, I know." Harry nodded. He walked over to a table and pressed the intercom sitting in the middle of it. "Mary?"

"Mr. Bennett!" Mary, one of the receptionist on this floor spoke, "What can I get you?"

"Could you call the airfield and have my private jet fuelled and on the runway as soon as possible?" Harry asked.

"Sure thing, Sir!" Mary told them before the faint static died.

"Thanks, Harry." Ororo told him. "You could come too if you want. It is technically your school as well."

"I know, but there's too much to do, and I can do the most from here." Harry sighed. "Even as we speak I'm having to double the number of refugee camps being set up in the country."

"Is it that bad?" Kitty asked suddenly joining the conversation as she and the three boys came over.

"It'll get better but for now humans aren't sure what to make of the mutants." Harry said. "I'm hoping that you will allow me to publicise the way you defended the men on that Island. It'll help sooth the rift dramatically."

"If you think it will help then do it." Ororo nodded even though Logan looked less than happy about it.

"I'll keep the school out of it. They wont know some of you were students." Harry told him. "I'm also sending additional guards to the school but they'll stay out of your way."

"What about me?" Jimmy stepped forwards, unsure about so many people in such a strange place.

"I've already gotten permission to send you into safe keeping at the school until custody of you can be decided." Harry told the three year younger boy kindly. "The Lawyers don't see any major problem with your custody being transferred to Bennett Inc. and once you have legal guardians again we can decide what you want to do."

Harry frowned as Jimmy looked slightly worried and he watched as he stepped back towards the window that looked out towards the bay. Warren leant in closer seeing Harry's confusion. "I think he's worried about being experimented on again." He whispered. Harry flinched as it clicked into place and ignoring the pain across his back he crossed the room and crouched down in front of where Kitty and Jimmy were sitting on a window seat.

"Hey Kid." Harry sighed waited for Jimmy to look up and saw deep fear in his eyes. "No matter what happens I'll look out for you. I know what its like to never have a choice in what happens to you and I wont let you live like that any longer. You wont end up in a lab again."

"You're sure?" Jimmy perked up slightly.

"One of the reason I'm pushing for you to become my ward is then I can use the whole of my company against anyone that attempts to legally put you back into a lab." Harry explained. "Nobody will go against my company to attempt it. And even if they manage it I'll be the first one blasting open the door to come and get you." Harry grabbed and squeezed his hand without thinking about it but smiled when he didn't feel any draining effects. He glanced at Warren who looked like he had just been about to call out a warning.

"You need to be more careful." Warren pointed out.

"Since when did you become the responsible one in this relationship?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Since you ambushed me in the middle of the night over Guildford?" Warren retorted with a smirk. Harry couldn't speak, he just shook his head and let go of Jimmy, realising that the boy was laughing at him.

"Very funny, I'll walk you guys to the cars." Harry said standing and wincing again. He tried to reach round to itch it but it was in vain. He huffed. "I do have a saving people complex."

Warren gave him a strange look.

"My friends used to tell me that." Harry sighed as he led the way from the room missing the look that Ororo shared with Warren. Harry led the six school attendees and Warren down the hall and to the elevator that would take them down to the underground parking. He stabbed at the right floors button as soon as everyone was inside and it started falling towards the basement. It wasn't likely that Lex and Sandy didn't know he was on his way. The receptionists on the top floors always warned everyone involved whenever Harry went out of the building.

Harry started to feel strange as they fell through the floors. It wasn't a bad feeling but just an unsettle one. He shook slightly as if with a shiver but only Warren noticed it. It only got stranger as they approached the lower floors but since it wasn't a bad feeling as such he shrugged it off.

He frowned as it carried on and eventually Warren had to shake him to get his attention. Harry's eyes snapped up to Bobby as he realised something. It was only his leeching power that was going haywire, his newly awakened magic that he had actually almost forgotten about since the night before. He stabbed the ground floor button just as they approached it and before anyone could understand what was happening he was grabbing Warren by the hand and Bobby by his arm and yanking them out into the lobby. The others frowned but followed at a distance.

He spoke to the door guard, head of a rather large squad of men still totting automatic weapons and body armour. They agreed easily to take them outside but went out in front to push anyone back from the crowds still accumulating by the doors. You'd think with a massive terrorist attack they would have found something else to do but obviously not. There was a lot of people that were still disgusted that the owner of the worlds largest company was a mutant, or that he was gay, or that Bennett Inc. had pulled almost fifty contracts off from the government of various countries.

He paused in the doorway listening to that unsettled effect in his leeching powers. He felt his eyes drawn to the right and to a cluster of people there waving anti-mutant banners. He strolled off towards them with Warren's hand still in his own, not even thinking about the photos that would undoubtedly appear in tomorrows newspapers. Luckily Bobby had removed Harry's hand from his own though he was still wondering why he had been dragged into a mob that was taking thirty armed men to hold back. A girl pushed her way out of the crowd but was caught around the waist by one of the guards and held.

"Let her through!" Harry yelled getting a strange look from Warren but a gasp from Bobby as the girl was released and ran over to them. Someone threw something after her from the crowd and tried to dash out towards the four mutants but a yell from the guards and Warren spreading his wings with a threatening snap sent them reeling backwards and they were soon shoved back again. Harry grabbed the girls glove covered hand and turned on his heels and slipped back inside with her in tow and then Bobby and Warren behind them. The guards fell through the door after them.

Harry spun to their leader. "Sorry about that."

"It's ok sir, we were getting bored standing around in here." He told him with a small smirk.

"As soon as men start to return from the bridge I want you to force them away. Call the police to help you or just push them half way down the street and block it with armoured trucks. I don't really care how, I'll back up what ever you do." Harry told him sincerely. "When people start needing to come here I don't want them to have to fight through. I'll send men down as soon as I can to help sort through who comes in."

The man nodded before speaking again. "Sir, we can shut the bomb shutters over the first three floors but we need somebody from management to give us the code to reopen the front doors to let people in and out."

Harry told him he'd get the codes to him as soon as he got back upstairs, you never knew when somebody might decide to try to throw something through the windows and since the lobby itself was three stories a brick could go along way. The leader and two of his men ran off toward a side door, obviously to call in some help and organise full barricades and Harry turned back to Bobby and who he assumed was Rogue. Warren watched him with careful eyes. "I'm tired of prejudiced gits." Harry shrugged at Warren referring to his rather violently way to get rid of the mob outside. He turned to the two standing rather close. "I take it that you are Rogue then, the power leech?"

She flinched at the description of her power but nodded all the same. "I heard about what happened on the Island and that Bennett Inc. were heading up the recovering and offering refuge for all mutants in need so I headed here. I didn't expect what was happening outside though." She sighed. "I'm really sorry about that."

"It's not a problem, the same thing is happening at almost every one of my buildings. Being a mutant really is a pain sometimes." He told her.

"You have no idea." She told him sadly with a slight shake of her head.

"Actually I do." Harry told her simply before he reached out towards Bobby's hand. To the boy's credit he didn't even flinch but Harry's hand stopped abruptly just above his skin before he draw his hand back and into a sharp fist. He knew that she had felt his power rise in readiness to leech Bobby's control over ice. He smirked at her.

"You're like me?" She gasped. "But the wings?"

"I have both, that's why I can touch my boyfriend here. My Leech abilities allows is since I cant drain his wings for myself." Harry told her. He looked at Bobby and then back to her and then quickly at their clasped hands before returning to her sorrow filled voice. "Do you mind if I try something?"

She didn't really think for long about what he wanted before she pulled off a glove and held out a hand. Harry glanced at Warren and then Bobby. "If either of you see a negative change you drag us apart, understand?" Harry took charge. He received nods and without any delay he placed his own hand in Rogue's.

Nobody breathed, nobody moved, even Ororo, Logan, Kitty, Piotr and Jimmy said nothing. But more importantly nothing happened. Harry felt his leeching ability strike out but it was met by an equally possessive force and it retreated just as the other one did. He grin appeared on his face as he gripped her hand tightly and she beamed at him and then at Bobby. "It worked!" Rogue cried, "I can touch him!"

"We need to get going." Bobby spoke as Harry withdrew his hand. Harry glanced at him to see a rather closed off face. Warren grabbed his hand and led them away but Harry did noticed when Rogue grabbed his other hand with a small smile. Harry thought about trying to let go and he only hoped she wasn't attracted to him since he couldn't return the feelings. He decided though that she was probably just overwhelmed by the ability to touch someone else's skin.

He got onto the elevator and down to the basement where Lex and Sandy had two of the large people carriers running. He led the group over and managed to drop Rouge's hand when she got on. He turned and pulled the rather sullen looking Bobby away from the van. "Bobby. Don't take it personally and don't blame me. She hasn't touched someone else's skin without hurting them for most of her life. How would you react in her place?"

He dropped his head but nodded to show he understood. "No hard feelings?"

"None." Bobby smiled at him and held out his hand. Harry paused briefly since he wasn't wearing his gloves but seeing that they both had long sleeves he reached passed his hand and grasped his forearm so that their skin didn't touch. He nodded briefly.

"Maybe if I my scientists can find away to mimic my power you can trick her powers into believing you are like me." Harry told him bringing a bright grin to Bobby's face. "It might not be possible though so don't mention it to anyone else. Don't get her hopes up but don't let things fall apart between you."

Bobby nodded and loaded up next to Rouge grabbing her gloved hand in his own and gave Harry a small grateful smile before the doors closed and they drove out of the underground parking.

Harry turned back to Warren and held out his hand. As soon as Warren took it he pulled him closer and kissed him soundly on the lips before tugging the dazed boy back into the elevator and back up to the top floors. Kinas had arrived and after a brief yet rapid discussion Harry sent him down to the base floors to sort out the bomb shields and also to oversee the setting up of a small refugee area outside the building before he sat at the table and called the local police chief on the phone to clear the blocking of the roads in this area from public access. A request easily granted to him since without his help the authorities of San Francisco would be overwhelmed by the chaos at the moment.

He spoke with Rudolph and a few of the other board members who agreed with his actions within San Francisco and had already upgraded the size of the refugee camps as more and more humans and mutants poured into them.

At the end of the meeting they sent him a compressed file for those that appeared at the refugee camps near to San Francisco and with Kinas and Warren's help they flipped through them for anything interesting. Harry was flipping through those searching for mutants when one caught his eye. The photo was that of a boy that looked familiar to him and he had said that he was looking for his brother, Robert Drake. The only reason that it had been highlighted amongst the millions was because the boy claimed that his brother attended a school for mutants on the West coast. The file had come from a camp on the outskirts of Boston but it peaked Harry's interest as well as the person who had forwarded it.

"Does he look familiar to you?" Harry spun the photo to Warren who eyed it for a while.

"I'm not sure, maybe he's related to Bobby?" Warren suggested confirming Harry's suspicions.

"He's a human who showed up near Boston looking for his brother, Robert Drake, who supposedly goes to a school for Mutants on the West Coast." Harry told him. "I supposed Bobby could be short of Robert but it could any number of people."

"Wait, look here." Warren said after scanning the report. "It says his brother froze a cup of tea."

Harry paused before leaning across the table to his intercom. "Debbie?" He asked to his own receptionist and got a quick response. "Can you get onto data support and ask them to look up Robert Drake on the company database?"

"Sure thing, Mr. Bennett." She agreed.

"And Debbie, tell them that this is priority." Harry told her.

"Of course, Sir." The line went dead.

A man walked into the room, one of the middle level executives by the looks of his blue ID badge. Harry knew that Kinas had set most of the Aeronautics company into helping with the clean up, at least those that worked within the city. Those that worked at the test range were all helping at the refugee camp to the south and any others that weren't need for normal work had been asked to come in to the head office to help sort through all the data being received. According to Rudolph the same was happening across the world and Bennett Inc. was quickly becoming the mutants' go-to company.

The man left after whispering into Kinas' ear and dropping a note on the table. "Harry?" Kinas turned to his boss. "They've found Magneto."

"Who found him?" Warren asked.

"Our teams, there are only a couple of dozen police at the bridge so far. The others are trying to quell the panic in the city." Kinas told him. "Sir, he's handcuffed and locked into one of our Chinooks. The police don't know we have him yet."

"Shouldn't we tell them?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I gave the men orders to hide him so we can question him before we hand him over." Kinas admitted. "The police aren't in a position to complain. Soon we'll have the backing of almost every mutant in the world, they wont have a choice."

"Let's hope they don't interpret that as a hostile move, Kinas." Harry told him, "But I agree. Obviously he was drugged but I want a blood test to confirm its presence in his system before he is taken to the test range with a constant guard."

"Sir, if I may." Kinas said before he stood. "We have a Telekinetic and a Shape shifter that work as guards. They should be at the doors."

"Send them to guard Magneto, I know he's harmless without his powers but there might be mutants out there that want to rescue him." Harry nodded to show he knew that was what Kinas was going to suggest. "See if there is anyone at the refugee camp with a clean enough record to trust to help them. I don't want him being rescued. And make sure he is fed and that any injuries are healed, but I don't want anyone to talk to him until I speak to him myself."

Kinas nodded before he left. Warren sighed and look at Harry. "You're going to need to make a press conference." He told his boyfriend. "Bennett Inc. is making to many moves too quickly and they'll want an explanation. If you call it before they start demanding it you'll look better."

Harry nodded. "Do you want to come with me to talk to Magneto?" Harry asked

"Yeah, if you don't mind." Warren nodded. "He might have had the wrong idea but I do respect his courage."

"Ok then, I'll make the press conference though I'd like you to be there as a sign that your company isn't to be blamed and then I'll go and speak to Magneto." Harry rubbed at his eyes.

A buzz came from the intercom and Harry pressed the button. "Sir, data just got back to me. Robert Drake is at Xavier's institute, sixteen years old with a class 4 mutant ability."

"Thank you, Debbie. Can you get some of the Directors on the phone as soon as possible and then patch them through to me and then call for a press conference for ten o'clock?"

"Yes, Mr. Bennett." She hung up.

"That must be his brother then." Warren summed up. "What are you going to do?"

"Bring him here." Harry told him.

"What!?" Warren choked slightly.

"There is no point in him being in a refugee camp in Boston if I can bring him to his brother." Harry sighed. "Don't you ever wish you had a brother that would search for you in this commotion. If there is something I can do I will."

Harry press one of the other buttons on the intercom to call the receptionists for the entire floor since Debbie would be busy for the next five or so minutes. "Mr. Bennett, this is Mary."

"Can you get the contact number for the refugee camp set up in Boston?" Harry asked. "I need to talk to whoever is in charge there as soon as you get him on the phone. Tell him to summon a boy by the name of Ronny Drake."

"Yes Sir." They didn't have to wait that long since most of the people in charge of the refugee camps were constantly on the phone trying to shuffle supplies and personnel between camps and warehouses.

"Mr. Bennett? My name's Jack Westfall. Manager of your weapons research centre in Boston." A man, presumably in his forties by the sounds of his voice, said before he continued. "I've got Ronny Drake here on the phone with me."

"Ronny?" Harry started. "Your report says that you aren't a mutant, but you're looking for your brother who is?"

"Yes Sir." A boy, maybe fourteen replied after a timid pause. "I thought that coming here would be the best way to find him."

"Why didn't you contact his school?" Harry asked, this point had bugged him since he had read the file.

"My parents threw out everything about the school and I couldn't remember the name." The boy replied. "They don't want anything to do with him and they got really mad when they heard about everything lately. I remembered reading that Bennett Inc. was do everything they could to help the mutants so I came here."

"Your brother, does he go by Bobby?" Harry asked, convinced that the boy wasn't lying.

"Yes Sir!" He sounded rather pleased.

"What else can you tell me about him?" Harry asked.

"He had this girl, Rogue, with her and a friend who could make fire." Ronny said.

"Mr. Westfall?" Harry asked to make sure the man was there. He got a shuffling and an acknowledgment. "Can you see Mr. Drake onto a helicopter and on the next flight to San Francisco?"

"Of course Sir. Actually there is a transport plane flying from our test range to Bennett Aeronautics test range in fifteen minutes. I could delay it for a small time and put him on it with your permission." Westfall told him.

"Do it." Harry nodded though he couldn't be seem "Ronny, I'll meet you personally at the airport when you arrive. Do you want me to tell your brother you are coming?"

There was a pause. "We didn't part well the last I saw him. He might not want me around. Could you not tell him?"

Harry agreed after a meaningful glance with Warren. "Have a good trip." He hung up.

Time to get this meeting with the Board out of the way and then the press conference. Even a conversation with Magneto sounded better.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Bennett Aeronautic's test range; six hours later**

Harry couldn't believe how long it had taken him to get out of the city. It wasn't the trip itself that had taken the time, it had been easy to hitch a ride with one of the Chinooks plying back an forth from the city to the airstrip. Nor was it the fact that the press conference had last a whole hour and then he had a tour hour full board meeting to sit through to discuss every aspect of the last two days from what the Pentagon were doing in response to the near crash of their military's supply line to the shortages of resources going to their smaller companies.

It had been the Chief of Police showing up outside the building followed by the inspection of the tents being set up in front of the office tower and then a trip to settle disputes between the rather lacking police effort around the bay and his own men who had already cleared out every survivor easily found and were still searching.

It was coming onto three o'clock by the time the Chinock set down outside an isolated bunker at the end of the runway. Harry and Warren stepped out and walked towards the approaching guard. Harry exchanged introductions and pleasantries for a time before following the man in. Six guards stood around the room and then two extra men wearing civilian clothes stood just behind and older man with greying hair that Harry immediately recognised as Magneto.

"Good Afternoon." Harry said as he strode up until he was only a few metres from the man. He looked up with a jolt realising that someone was actually speaking to him. Harry noticed a few plates and glasses, evidence that the man had been cared for. As well as that he had a plaster on his forehead and a bandage around his lower left arm. "How about we start with names? I'm Harry Bennett and this is Warren Worthington."

The man stared at them for a while in the way that men who had just had everything in their lives turned upside down did before he eventually spoke. "Magneto."

"What about your proper name?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't have one." Magneto told him.

"Sure you do, everyone has a given name, that which their parents give them." Harry told him bluntly.

"You should know more than anyone that some people don't use such names." Magneto told him with a victorious smile.

Warren tensed but Harry just smirked before turning to the guards. "Leave us please." They stared at him and the leader almost looked like he wanted to argue but Harry just dismissed them with a nod. "Then you are more informed in this world then my Board led me to believe."

"I know of the world you came from Harry Potter though why you would be within ours is beyond me." Magneto asked.

"Your name Magneto?" Harry asked again.

"That is my name." Magneto almost glared back at him.

"Eric Lensherr, you remind me of Voldemort." Harry said rather cruelly as he leaned on the back of the chair in front of him.

"Excuse me!?" The man's eyes widened, he obviously knew of the man.

"Well, Tom Riddle was always one to lose his temper whenever he heard his real name. You seem to be the same." Harry smirked. "You also both wished for supremacy for your own kind even at the expense of others and you both were willing to walk over your own kind to do it."

"You said 'Riddle was,' does that mean he's gone?" Lensherr asked.

"I killed him just after becoming a mutant." Harry conceded not deterred in the knowledge that Magneto seemed to know of Wizards. "How do you know of Voldemort and Harry Potter?"

"He hunted me down some time ago and wanted my help, I refused and escorted him out." Magneto admitted. "After that I visited this world of yours and then followed your activities when you re-emerged."

Harry looked at Warren but to be honest he was done here. There wasn't much he could do for Eric Lensherr after all. He went to stand up but Magneto caught his attention again.

"I would not expect someone like you to have removed the guards around me." He told him.

"I can look after myself, Lensherr. Besides you no longer have your abilities." Harry snapped as he went to leave. Magneto stood with the sound of his chair falling backwards.

"Even without my abilities you are but two children with no real weapons beyond those toy wings of yours playing in a world far worse than you can imagine.

"Really, Lenshurr, because I have lived in a world that was pretty screwed up." Harry stepped forwards towards the man admiring the slightly crazed look on his face, the kind that appears on people that have just lost everything they held dear and are willing to do any number of things to get it back. Harry grabbed the mans wrist but couldn't flared his wings like he wanted because it would have pained him too much. Lensherr went pale instantly and began to lose energy at an alarming rate. "I'm not defenceless, Lensherr."

"What…how?" Magneto gasped looking up in horror.

"This is how I killed Voldemort, I turned his own magic against him. It was such an atrocious deed that the Wizards condemned me for saving them." Harry told him. "It's a shame this drug took your ability. It would have been ironic to have done the same to you."

With that Harry dropped the man from his grasp and spun on his heel, leaving Eric Lensherr collapsed across the table gasping for air. "They wont leave you alone you know, Potter." Magneto croaked out. "One day they'll find you, I only hope its sooner rather than later."

Harry listened before leaving with Warren following him out. Harry spoke to the two mutants charged with guarding the man, telling them that he would rather they lived than Magneto stay in their charge but not to go easy on anyone that came near him. Harry would tell the Pentagon where he was as soon as things settled down between his company and them.

"Do you think he was being serious at the end then?" Warren asked his boyfriend unhappily.

"I'm sure they'll find me, but I wont go easily. Hermione has a foot in both worlds and eventually she'll see me on the TV. I don't have my scar any longer but I spent the most time with her than I did anyone else." Harry sighed. "I've become famous in two worlds."

"At least you're earning it in this world and you have a company full of people that wont ever turn their back on you after your kindness." Warren smiled at him as they approached a jet standing on the airstrip. They were due to fly north to the school for the weekend to get away from the riots in the city. Harry would be able to deal with things easier where they didn't have to worry about his safety.

"I'd be glad to never see that world again but whereas they forget good deeds easily they never forget bad ones." Harry shook his head before glancing up at his boyfriend and pausing long enough to peck him on the lips. "Lets go meet Ronny Drake." He said referring to the boy that the Airstrip Commander had told him was eating dinner on the plane waiting for him.

"I never thought being an only child bugged me at all until I met you." Warren laughed. "You've rubbed off on me."

"Good. Better me than your father!" Harry laughed and pecked Warren on the cheek as he smiled down at him.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

End Chapter


	10. Reunion

Wings of an Angel

Chapter 10; Reunion

**Xavier's school for the Gifted**

Harry stepped out of the plane as soon as the door was down, Ronny stepped out behind him with Warren behind him. Both he and Warren had on t-shirts that wove around their wings, they felt no need to hide them any longer.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Ronny?" Harry asked as his driver held the door of the black BMW open.

"I'm sure." Ronny nodded as he turned to look at the older boy. "He's my brother, I should never have betrayed him in the first place."

"You called the police on him the first time. How do you know he'll open his arms to you now?" Warren asked dubiously as they all got in the car.

"I have to at least try." Ronny sighed and put his head back. He was obviously rather tired after the flight across the continent and then another into the north.

Harry nodded and sent Warren a warning look to drop it. He knew that Warren had noticed that the situation was similar to Harry's own with his 'friends' back in England and was slightly resentful to Ronny for betraying his brother in the first place. Harry on the other hand was willing to look for Ronny's better side. The side that had caused the boy to run away from his parents and go into a camp full of mutants to look for his brother.

The journey was quiet and short and they were soon pulling up to the front door of the large, ivy covered, mansion. Ororo was there to greet them and she did so with a large smile on her face. "Harry, Warren!" She cried, "It's so good to see you so soon."

"I admit we hadn't planned on coming so soon however we had somebody to bring with us." Harry smiled back and accepted her hug carefully so as not to touch her skin and also to not twist his still slightly sore wing. "Ororo, this is Ronny Drake."

"Bobby's brother?" She sounded shocked. Ronny looked down in shame.

"Yes. He ran away from home and turned up in one of my refugee camps looking for his brother." Harry explained. "It was a very courageous thing to do. Even in my camps there are serious incidents occurring between the humans and mutants. My own security is having to upgrade itself to cope."

"How much security do you have?" Ororo asked suddenly.

"Probably the military power of a small country." Harry grinned suddenly before gesturing inside. "Shall we go in?"

"Would you like to go get Bobby?" Ororo asked. "I'll take Warren and Ronny to the office. He should be in the common room."

Harry nodded and headed up the stairs towards the main common room where he could hear quite a few people. He stood in the door as he looked around through the thirty or so children until he found Bobby and Marie on the carpet near the fireplace playing cards with some of the younger children. He walked through the throng slowly and came to a halt near them. One of the children jumped up and ran to him.

"You have wings!" He cried happily. This declaration made Bobby and Marie bolt upright and spin to look at him. "Can I touch them? Please?"

Harry laughed but opened one of his silver tinted wings so that the small boy could touch them. A breeze ruffled through his feathers as the boy stroked the feathers. "An Air elemental? Interesting. What's your name?"

"Lucus." The little boy told him. "I'm six!" He declared happily.

"Well, Lucus, do you mind if I talk to Bobby for a while?" Lucus looked back at the sixteen year old boy behind him and nodded as if he was the most important person in the room. He stroked the feathers one last time before hopping away to his friend chatting away happily. "Bobby, would you come with me?"

Bobby nodded but glanced at his girlfriend slightly. "Should Rogue come too?"

"This is to do with your family," Harry explained. "It's up to you."

Bobby nodded and grabbed hold of Marie's gloved hand gently and followed Harry out of the room. "Has something happened to them?" Bobby asked him as they walked down the stairs to the ground floor.

"It's your brother." Harry told him deciding it would be best that Bobby knew what he was walking into. "He ran away from home and turned up in my Boston refugee camp looking for a way to find you. I flew him here when his report crossed my desk."

"Thank you, Harry." Bobby nodded distractedly and Harry kept his mouth closed until they reached the office door.

"Bobby, I understand this might be awkward. I don't have a family but my friends, the only family I know, tried to have me killed when they discovered I was a mutant." Bobby's head snapped up in shock. He had only nearly been arrested. "I would never forgive them because of their attitude but how you handle this is up to you."

"You think I shouldn't forgive him?" Bobby asked.

"I didn't say that. He seems sincere in his hopes of being your brother again. If there is any chance of a reunion you should try." Harry sighed. "There is no way for a reunion to work between my friends and I. They tried to kill me out of fear and hatred. Your brother was scared for your parents."

Bobby nodded and Harry opened the door before walking in, knowing that he would follow him in. Inside Ororo sat on the sofa whilst Warren spoke quietly with Ronny by the doors out to a Balcony that looked over the garden since it was a story lower than the driveway. Harry nodded to Warren who turned Ronny toward the door just as Harry stepped to the side to clear the view of his older brother.

Ronny made a sound far back in his throat that belied just how frightened he really was. He crossed his arms in front of his chest making himself look smaller than he actually was and Harry could see that the two brothers got their statures from different parents. Whereas Bobby had broad shoulders and a strong figure, Ronny was slender and easily overlooked in a large crowd.

Harry figured that this difference was one of the reasons that Ronny had been frightened into calling the police on his brother. Harry figured that he'd always been intimidated by his brother and finding out his brother was a mutant was the final straw.

Ronny watched his brother expectantly as the older boy walked into the middle of the room, dropping Marie's hand on the way. They stared at each other, Ronny trying to figure out how to start off and Bobby trying to suss his younger brother out. Harry, Warren, Marie and Ororo watched silently as tears pooled in the younger brother's eyes but he didn't break eye contact with Bobby as a tear fell down his cheek.

This was obviously the proof that Bobby needed as he instantly gathered his little brother in his arms and hugged him. Ronny burst into tears, muttering apologies into Bobby's ear and his own arms circled his brother. Harry nodded to the balcony windows and the other three spectators took the hint and walked out into the sun and welcoming breeze.

Harry and Warren spread their wings unconsciously to let the dying wind run through the feathers soothing the muscles and the membrane that made up the spans. Ororo grinned at them knowingly and her eyes glared white briefly and the wind picked up. Harry shook his wings slightly and grinned at her playfully. "You're a useful person to have around. Can you fly?"

"Nearly, more of a hover if I alter the wind right." Ororo admitted.

"Perhaps we can go for a fly sometime then? I wouldn't have to do so much work with you to alter the winds." Harry laughed and Warren slapped the back of his head playfully making Marie laugh. "How are things going around here?"

"We had the memorial service this morning." Ororo sighed and Marie stopped giggling quickly.

"Don't forget you've got my company behind anything you want to do." Harry reminded her.

"What about Bobby, Jimmy, Rouge and the others without parents to pay for them?" Ororo asked sadly. "They've stayed here for now but we can't afford to keep them here indefinitely." Marie looked sad and Warren looked at Harry forlornly.

"Marie already had a scholarship covering her tuition, Jimmy is my ward so I'll obviously be paying for him." Harry told Ororo. "The Xavier Trust will cover the others."

"The Xavier trust?" Marie asked.

"Professor Xavier didn't have any heirs." Ororo explained. "His Will stated that everything he had would go into a Trust for the use of the school for, amongst other things, scholarships."

"The headmaster or mistress would control the trust." Harry added.

"What stops them misusing the money?" Warren asked.

"It was a clause my grandmother added when she gave the money to help set up the school." Harry explained. "Bennett Inc. has to agree to the choice. In this case I gave official permission for Ororo to take the job. She can give scholarships to anyone she wishes."

"Really?" Ororo gasped.

"That's assuming you want the position." Harry put in and she nodded.

"That's what the Professor asked before he died." She sighed.

"I plan on doing something in his honour though I'm not sure yet." Harry sighed. "Let me know if you can think of something worthy that would recognise the sacrifices he made."

"What's going to happen now?" Marie asked.

"No we attempt to rebuild our world." Ororo sighed.

Harry nodded his agreement. "I'm expecting to hear something later on this afternoon from the Government and hopefully that will be the first step to completely reintegrating mutants into the human population." Harry sighed. "It'll be a lot of work. We'll have to man a police force capable of controlling mutants before the humans feel safe enough to think of living alongside us peacefully."

"You should look into setting up more schools like this one to teach mutants." Marie added.

"I was hoping that the 'X-men' could help me with any situations that might arise in the meantime however." Harry turned to Ororo with a slightly unsure look on his face.

"Even if we wouldn't do it anyway, after everything you're doing for us it would only be fair." Ororo smiled at him. "Though we cant travel as much as we used to."

"Don't be so sure about that." Harry laughed. "I've been looking into my family's files. Who do you think helped design and build your underground operation?"

"Do you mean Bennett Inc?" Ororo gasped, the question of who had built the jet for Professor Xavier had never even crossed her mind.

"The Jet was a special research project, we have another one in storage that I ordered refurbished and brought here this morning." Harry told her. "It should be here within two days since it is travelling by road. Hopefully with Jimmy and Marie's help we can make it immune to mutant powers." He said the last half to Marie and she nodded her permission quickly.

"What about prisons and defences?" Ororo suggested.

"We're looking into it." Harry told her with a small smile. "I've got my hands full at the moment though."

"I can only imagine." Ororo laughed. "I'll take you up on that flight when you're not too busy though."

The balcony doors opened as Bobby came out. "Thank you, Harry." He said after a moment but he really looked like he wanted to return to his brother as soon as possible. Harry nodded at him with a smile before waving for Marie to follow the sixteen year old back inside.

"Ororo, I need to discuss something with you." Harry told her to stop her from following. She stopped and looked at him carefully. Warren caught Harry's eye to ask whether he wanted him to stay. Harry shrugged to show he didn't mind.

"I'll be nearby." Warren told him quickly spreading his wings. "I've been dying to stretch my wings."

He took off into the air and flew low over the building doing small tricks as Ororo and Harry watched him. "He's beautiful." Ororo gasped in awe.

"He's a bit young for you, Ororo." Harry smirked. "Plus, he's taken."

She went bright red. "I meant…"

Harry stalled her with a raised hand. "I know. Back to business though." Harry lost his smirk. "We're holding Eric Lensherr for the time being."

"I didn't know you had him." Ororo sighed. "I would have thought the police would have arrested him."

"We'll hand him over eventually but we have to be sure that his powers are permanently stripped first and I don't trust the police to do that." Harry sighed. "Also he knows things about me that I don't want public knowledge, especially now."

"What things?" Ororo asked hopefully but was shocked when Harry just nodded at her.

"Things I am about to tell you." He raised his arms and spread his magic around him. He'd been practicing it ever since he had discovered his magic again, not wanting to let it go and lose it again, his only real personal link to his parents. It spread out around him like a bubble, invisible to the eye but Ororo still felt it as it washed over her. He focused on it forcing it to do one task only. Stop any sound from escaping them whether by human, mutant or magical means. "What you just felt, Professor Monroe, wasn't a mutant ability. That was magic."

"Magic?" She gasped.

"It is far older than mutant abilities and in some aspects far stronger. I was born a Wizard. My parents were Wizards. My name was Harry Potter." Harry sighed and stretched his wings. "My magic took precedence at birth and my mutant abilities were repressed. When my parents were murdered by another Wizard I was hidden away in the human world not knowing of either my Wizarding heritage or my mutant abilities. Neither did I know anything of Bennett Inc."

"What happened to change that then?" She obviously believed him.

"As far as my researchers can gather as I grew so did my absorbing abilities. Through coincidence, on my seventeenth birthday they grew powerful enough to overcome and drain my magic. With my magic repressed my wings could grow." Harry sat himself on the banister and watched Warren fly far overhead for a few minutes. Ororo waited patiently knowing that the story wasn't over. "My parent's murderer came to my house a week before September came and I killed the man by taking control of his magic and turning it against him."

Ororo looked crushed but Harry didn't know whether it was because he had had to kill a man or that he could so easily. Harry continued, still staring at Warren wishfully. "I can still hear his screams. I fell unconscious after that and woke in captivity. My friends wanted me arrested. Magic wasn't supposed to be able to exist alongside Mutant powers. I wasn't one of them anymore and they were disgusted at me for turning a wizard's magic against himself."

"That's ridiculous!" Ororo cried out obviously not able to restrain herself. "He was a murderer."

"That's what I thought. I escaped and fled to Guildford. Found out about Bennett Inc and focused on reaffirming my new life." Harry smiled slightly. "I met my Angel there and came to America when all this started."

"How did you get your magic back then?" Ororo asked remembering that Harry had just used magic.

"During the fight on Alcatraz I rather foolishly grabbed Jimmy whilst flying. His powers weakened my own mutant abilities, almost made me fall out of the sky, and let my magic surge up again protecting me from him. Now they reside peacefully within me."

"So you've only been a mutant for two months?" Ororo stared at him.

"And I killed my parents murderer only a month ago." Harry dropped his head to look at her.

"Oh my god!" Ororo cried obviously seeing something in his eyes to make her looked concerned. "How can you sit there and speak so calmly?"

"Because if I don't I'll break like I nearly have for the last month." Harry dropped his head to his chest and drew his wings in around him as he shivered. He felt her stroking his wings and he smiled up at her, though it was a pained smile. "I cant rest yet. I've got so much to do."

"Why are you telling me all this?" Ororo questioned him.

"My life changed completely in the space of two months. I lost my friends, avenged my parents, helped change a country. I'm looked at for answers by almost ten million mutants. I suppose I'm hoping you'll help me keep afloat in all this." He sighed. "The Wizard's will find me soon, too many of them will be following this struggle to miss me. They'll come for me."

She suddenly saw everything in plain light. Harry was miserable, lost, distraught and above all scared. "You can stay with us for as long as you need, Harry." His head snapped up not having expected her to understand so easily. "I like my office as it is at the moment so you can take this one for your work."

"Thank you, Ororo." Harry grinned at her though the pain was still there. "You don't know how much this means to me."

She hugged him then. Arms slipping under his wings and around his t-shirt, taking care not to touch any skin. He hugged her back and felt tears falling down his cheek. As if on cue Warren landed and seeing the look on Harry's face when Ororo pulled back he pulled Harry's back against his chest, wrapped his wings around him and laid his chin on Harry's shoulder. Harry smiled back at him gratefully.

"Harry also wants to know if you'd be willing to act as a counsellor for him." Warren added knowing that Harry wouldn't ask. Harry dipped his head slightly. "He's told me most about his childhood but I cant help him like a certified therapist like yourself."

She seemed shocked. "There's more to that story?" She gasped.

"He probably left out the bits not vital to the overall story." Warren sighed.

"Of course I'll do what I can, even if it is just listening." Ororo nodded. "We can start tomorrow if you'd like."

"Thank you, Ororo." Harry smiled at her as his wings unconsciously twitched as he remembered his Uncle's beatings this last summer. He would have to do something about them soon. He wouldn't allow them to get away with it like the Wizards had allowed them to.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

End Chapter


	11. Moving On

Wings of an Angel

Chapter 11; Moving on

Harry and Warren had been at the school for two weeks before things got too interesting in the world for them to hide any longer. Harry walked into Ororo's office with a smile on his face. He'd just finished a rather long conference call with his headquarters that had covered both the good news and the bad.

It was the good news that was bringing him to Ororo though. He waved Aleti off to the side and his mutant bodyguard nodded at him before slinking away to stand by the door. She was only a level two mutant as opposed to Harry's level four status but she had trained herself in martial arts for over fifty years. Her cat like agility that came with her long life made Harry think of the classic mythology of High Elves.

"Ororo, I've got some unexpected news for you." Harry announced as he walked in and shocked her.

"What is it, Harry?"

"There's been an interesting development with a brain dead patient in one of my medical research centres. It seems he's woken up." Harry told her with a smile, "And if I'm not mistaken, my staff tell me that he is calling himself Charles Xavier."

"What!?" Ororo almost fell out of her chair.

"According to him, when he was moments from death he transferred his mind into the empty brain in my facility." Harry shrugged. "It is a welcome occurrence as many Mutants look to his example. I'm having him transferred here immediately but he will have to work on his muscles to get them to work again."

"I don't believe it!" Ororo gasped.

Harry smiled ironically. "This world has many twists in it, doesn't it?" Ororo gave him a strange look. "I'm afraid my little vacation is over. I must go to my headquarters in Washington immediately."

"Do you have to leave so soon?" Ororo asked with concern.

"Yeah," Harry sighed. "Two Wizards were caught sneaking into our head office. They didn't take into account that there is a mutant there that could see infra-red so their invisibility spells were useless."

"What are you going to do?" Ororo asked.

"I need to go and see who they are and what they are doing." Harry told her seriously. "Whether they are their by their own choice or were sent and whether their appearance is to do with me or coincidental."

"Remember you can always call us if you need help." Ororo reminded him with a smile. "Especially after everything you are doing for mutants."

"Thanks Ororo but I'd rather leave my friends out of my fights if I can help it." Harry gave her a small smile.

Harry and Ororo chatted for some time about the prototype mutant power blocker and its magic blocking brother that several of Harry's research labs were researching with the help of Harry's, Marie's and Jimmy's DNA samples whether the labs were weapons oriented or medical. That conversation soon became about the new students that had started over the last week and Harry spoke in detail about his plans for the school.

Harry and Warren took his private jet across country, leaving the school within an hour of telling everyone that he was going. Jimmy gave him a tearful farewell and he got several warm goodbyes from the others especially Bobby and Ronnie. He went through a whole briefcase of paperwork about the schools expansion plans and the scholarship papers for Bobby, Ronnie, Marie and Jimmy as well as a few others and then spent two hours in a conference call with the Directors talking purely about the changing mood of the Wizarding World.

He was completely up to date before he and Warren were greeting by Lex and Sandy and got into a six window limo. They drove from the inner city airfield down to the outskirts of the city centre quickly and Harry, who had never seen the monuments in Washington was amazed at the sight of the Jefferson Memorial but even more so when they passed it and saw the Bennett Memorial Wall lining the left side of the road. It was a moving mirror wall that caught the sun or moon at all times of the day and night and reflected the light into many colours across the Reflecting Pool.

Harry felt Warren grip his hand tightly as Harry stared at the wall with a broken look on his face. The wall made up the south side of the Bennett Plaza which sat on the inside corner of the L-shaped memorial park with the Jefferson Memorial at one end and the White House on the other. The Wall itself was in memory of his parents built after their murder by the Bennett Charity Trust.

As they rounded the end of the mirror wall Harry took his first look at the elegant building that was his company's headquarters. It was only ten stories high, built to match the surrounding buildings in height, but it was far more attractive with a horseshoe shape with two wings reaching towards the entrance and the Eclipse Park beyond. Smooth curves of mirrored glass made up the walls except for the second to top floor which was completely solid black granite. In fact the whole ninth floor was layered with re-enforced concrete and hundreds of safety protocols supposedly to protect Bennett Inc's mainframe and more valuable products. In fact the only irreplaceable items in the vaults were of magical nature and they were protected by emergency port keys that would relocate them to another vault in a militarised facility in the vast Nevada desert.

The car drove up to the front entrance and Harry noted the three reporters outside the doors with a security guard. Security didn't forbid reporters from entering the Plaza until they caused a disruption and there was normally a couple hanging around in case something happens. Harry had already been warned of their presence and he intended to explain his sudden appearance with a partial truth.

The car came to a stop and Aleti opened the door for him to step out all the while keeping between him and the reporters as they closed on him. Harry paused with Warren at his side, looking very intimidating with their exposed wings even if they were only seventeen. "Mr Bennett! Why have you suddenly come to Washington when you have yet to visit here since your return?"

Harry waved off the security men to tell them that he would speak to them and he visibly watched the reporters relax as they realised that they weren't going to be brushed aside. "It was only a matter of time before I would have to return." Harry told them. "Last night, two men were caught attempting to gain entrance to our vaults and mainframe. They are being held in our custody until we hand them over to the correct authorities."

"Did they manage to take anything?" One asked him.

"They were caught by a Mutant under my employ even after they got passed the security cameras but they weren't able to bypass our ninth floor security before being caught." Harry explained.

"So if it wasn't for the presence of a Mutant they might have managed to steal from your high security floor?"

"It is unlikely; there is nothing to suggest that they would have managed to breach our security." Harry told them confidently. "They were ill prepared to carry it out and we won't rest until their motives are discovered and the ones that gave their orders are brought to light."

With that subtle threat against the Wizarding World who would undoubtedly read of his words he turned and entered the large front doors which swished aside with a breeze of air. He was led straight to a conference room on the third floor where an interrogation room was set up with a side room with a one way window. Harry studied the two 'guests' with a strange look on his face. "They are definitely Aurors." Harry stated. "I'm going in to talk to them."

Warren gave him a look that told him to be careful and Harry nodded to reassure him before following Aleti into the joining room. The two Wizards looked up at him with almost identical sneers. "Potter!" One of them snarled in disgust. Harry felt glad that everyone with access to this room knew of his true identity. In fact three of the floors were forbidden to most employees, the top floor was only accessible to the higher executives, the main lifts didn't even go to the ninth floor you had to take a set of heavily guarded stairs up from the eighth floor which in itself was only accessible to a small proportion of employees since most of it dealt with the magical section of his company known as Section Five in any of the paperwork.

Harry just glared at them. "I'm going to keep this simple. You two are in serious trouble with not only my company but the American Government and Ministry once we notify them."

"You can't do anything to us." The older of the two Wizards told him.

"You really believe that?" Harry scoffed almost laughing. "You broke into a building confirmed by the American Ministry of Magic as off limits to all Wizards. You are taking action not only out of your own jurisdiction but in an allied country. Once the American Ministry finds out they will pressure your Ministry into why you tried to break into this building and that's not even covering what the American Government is going to say when they find out you used magic against the company currently holding together their infrastructure. They'll think that you were doing it to weaken them."

"They won't think that!" The other Wizard spat.

"It really depends on how we word it doesn't it." Harry told them. "Two British Wizards trying to break into a top secret section of a Wizard-forbidden building in an Allied Country under the orders of the British Ministry of Magic."

"You have no proof that the Ministry of Magic had anything to do with this." The second Wizard told him with a little more confidence bearing in mind their simple orange jump suits that they had been dressed in after all of their magical items had been removed from them.

"I suppose you could go with that one though you do realise that you'd end up taking the full blame for your actions." Harry laughed at their faces though he didn't vocalise the laugh.

"What have you done with our wands?" One asked obviously choosing to ignore the previous question.

"They and anything else magical that you brought, including your invisibility cloaks are within my vaults. Ironic really since that was where you wanted to be." Harry gave them a wiry look. "I'll ensure that they are passed on to the American Ministry when we hand you over to them."

"They'll never let you get away will holding us here!" The first, younger one, cried out.

"Of course they will!" Harry did actually chuckle here. "They can't afford a public enquiry especially since I threatened to reveal the presence of Wizards to the public."

"You can't do that!" The Auror told him.

"Why not? I'm not a Wizard anymore since you revoked those rights when you discarded me and I'm not a Muggle either." Harry told them.

"They'll still send someone to rescue us." The other stated.

"I expect so but this building is protected against Portkeys, Apparition and location spells." Harry told them. "They can send whoever they want but they won't get passed security without being noticed and they'll be captured just like you were."

"How can you be so sure?" He sneered.

"You shouldn't be so arrogant. You came in equipped with invisibility cloaks and used at least two dozen spells and were still caught within five minutes of passing through the front doors." Harry shook his head slightly. "Do you have anything else that you'd like to admit?"

They just gave him glares of distaste rather than speaking up and Harry just shrugged before leaving. "What do you think then?" Warren asked as he met Harry outside of the room.

"I think that the Ministry knows that they can't touch me legally so they were looking for something in my vaults to incriminate me with. Possession of illegal magical goods probably." Harry sighed. "They'll send somebody else to retrieve them." Harry waved a waiting aide up from where he stood to the side of the corridor. "My office?"

The eighteen year old nodded before leading the way to the elevator. The aid put an electronic tri-key in the lock on the panel before placing his hand on the scanner. His picture appeared on the screen and flashed green as it recognised him and granted him passage. You have to have both the tri-key and the correct finger prints so that use of a polyjuice potion couldn't get you passed nor could theft of a key.

The door opened a short while later and he was led down the richly decorated corridors to a long office at the front of the building overlooking the plaza below. The room had a large conference screen at one end and a rather ornate desk at the other with a long thin desk in the middle for functions. Harry turned to the aide. "I want you to notify the Directors that I want a full sweep of the Vaults to ensure that everything in there is legal." The aide nodded before leaving Harry and Warren alone except for Aleti. Harry moved to his desk and pressed a button on a microphone there. He knew that the PA system throughout the building had just come alive. "This is Harry Bennett. I wish I could be more polite and greet everybody more formally but time is not with us. I want every member of security recalled to watch the building for any form of intrusion and every little mishap reported to me personally and immediately." Harry let the connection fail before collapsing into his seat.

Warren settled himself on the arm of the chair and Harry let his head fall into the crook of his boyfriend's elbow where it sat across the back of the high-backed chair. "What now?"

"Now we wait for something to happen."

"Are you going to report the Wizards for this?" Warren asked.

"Eventually, I want to see what they do first." Harry admitted. "I'm hoping they send somebody I at least partly know."

They were joined by a few of the Directors rather quickly and went through proper greetings with them all including Rudolph who was busy working on the report that they would release to the White House and the Zephyr House, the Magical Ministry building, once they decided to do something about the Wizards. It wasn't till the building was beginning to empty for the day that something happened.

The phone on the desk rang and the line six light was flashing; the Security direct line. Harry pressed the speak button and told the person to speak. "Mr. Bennett sir?" The man started. "This is Jacob in Camera Control. We're registering glitches in localised sections of the system."

"Can you see anything through them?" Harry asked even as he worked out what it meant.

"No sir. They just turn to static and we lose control of pan and tilt."

Harry looked up at the others before pressing the button again to speak. "Activate the fire control systems and locked down every corridor affected by the glitches. Report to me which ones are sustained." Even as Harry looked up he heard distant alarms and knew that he fire doors were sliding shut and the windows in those areas being protected by large shutters. "Over concentrations of magic."

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Forth Floor; Corridor D12**

Alastar Moody glanced into the space beside him where he knew his partner, or apprentice, stood. He whistled lowly under his breath and waited the given twenty seconds as Neville Longbottom moved down to the next intersection before he headed down after him. They'd managed to use the elevator to reach this level but the fact that there were so many more armed patrols wandering the corridors had forced them to take to the corridors.

They'd quickly searched the first and second floors for the two Wizards they were here to rescue but had been forced to skip the third floor as two guards had entered the elevators on the second floor and forced them to leave on the forth so that they didn't get caught. Alastar had just caught up to them when a red light lowered from a hatch in the ceiling and three large metal doors within sight began to slowly slide towards the ground to block the corridors.

"We've been found." Neville spoke softly.

Alastar didn't bother answering as he focused on the nearest door. He wand was pointed at it and a freezing spell flying from his lips. The door shuddered to a halt with a grinding noise. "Let's go." Alastar said even as he heard Neville ducking under the door. They forced their way through the doors one by one using spells to lift the doors before releasing them after they went through.

It wasn't until they had passed through almost ten doors before they were shocked. The door they had just gone through had just slid shut behind them when the other three doors in the intersection slid open to reveal no fewer than ten armed Muggles. Their wands were up even as ten green lights linked the guns to them. Before Alastar could complete his first muttered spell a figure jumped out of the crowd and grabbed him around the torso with an iron strong grip. The slim woman's other hand found his wrist and with a painful twist ripped his wand from his fingers.

Never before had he found himself so confused. In an instant they had gone from being in control to being at the mercy of ten muggles and this woman who seemed superhuman even if he knew that none of them could see him. He knew that their weapons would kill them and that in such a small area they wouldn't be able to miss.

"Remove your cloaks and release any spells before placing your main and any spare wands on the ground and we wont shoot to cripple or kill." One man told them without moving his concentration from the aiming of his weapon.

Alastar struggled even as his cloak was ripped for him. He sighed in defeat before dropping the anti-heat spells that had stopped the infra-red devices that the Muggles used from detecting them. Neville appeared from thin air next to him and instantly half the guns were adjusted to face him exactly. Neville carefully placed his wand onto the ground before moving to stand closer to his Master.

"Sweep the area for more." The man spoke again and instantly the others began to close in on them making sure that there was no way another Wizard could escape. Neville and Alastar both watched as the men advanced over their wands and couldn't do anything as they were handcuffed and led away.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Interrogation room B**

Harry watched through the one way window as Alastar Moody and Neville Longbottom were led into the room and dumped into chairs before their hands were released and they were left alone. Alastar was glancing at the window constantly and Harry felt magic being sucked into him every time the ex-Auror looked directly at him. Harry grinned in amazement at his leeching power. It prevented even magical vision from seeing him.

Harry walked out the door with Warren beside him and collected the two wands and the invisibility cloaks. "No second wands?"

"Not that they gave up." The guard suddenly looked worried.

"Don't worry, I'll get the other." He knew for a fact that Alastar Moody always carried a second wand and that he'd have to force the man to draw it before he'd know where it was hidden.

In the end he didn't have to work particularly hard to find the wand, he found it aimed at his face as soon as he and Warren had shut the room's door behind them. Harry simply cocked his head to the side as Moody whispered the basic stunning spell. In the split second that Harry had he thought two things, one was the realisation that neither Moody nor Neville recognised him easily and the other was wondering whether his draining powers would work against spells.

He shrugged off their inattentiveness to his identity just as the spell struck him and the question was answered. He felt extremely tired for a second as the Stunner hit him in the chest but then he felt the magic in it being drawn inwards to his own core and forced to match his own. It had actually overfilled his core. He also discovered something else; the spell was still lingering in the air linking him directly to Moody's magical core.

He smirked up through his eyelashes at the taller man as he watched the shock in the scarred man's eyes turn to realisation. Before anything else could be said though Harry lashed out with his Mutant Powers and started to weaken the ex-auror. Moody's eyes turned slightly scared as his knees buckled and Neville darted forwards to stop him from hitting the ground. Harry had to concentrate in order to not overload his own core and found himself holding the magic loosely in his body noting in the back of his mind that he could always give it back once Moody was no longer a threat to him.

All this time Neville had been staring at Warren and Harry in confusion slowly putting together who Harry really was but his mind was distracted when the Stunner had had no affect or even the opposite effect and then when his Idol had collapsed he hadn't even thought before leaping into action to catch the man.

Harry watched as both crumbled to the floor but he found himself slightly impressed when Neville took Moody's wand from his finger tips and aimed it up at Harry who flared his wings threateningly. "Don't Longbottom! I'll do exactly the same thing to you if you try anything." Harry warned but his voice didn't betray any emotion. He raised an eyebrow. "Drop the Wand."

Harry didn't know whether it was because Neville knew who he was or because of Moody's current situation but the brown Wand clattered to the floor rather noiselessly. Harry lifted his hand and after a moments concentration he summoned the Wand up into his hand but dropped it onto the floor behind him when it shocked him slightly. He dimly realised that it would have done a lot more to him if he hadn't automatically drained the magic from the wand. He wondered also whether he had just removed its capability to channel magic.

"Auror Moody." Harry crouched slightly and looked at the slightly shivering man; evidently draining the magic directly from a Wizard's core was not pleasant for the Wizard in question. "I'll return your magic to you if you refrain from attacking me again."

He paused to see if he'd get an answer but the man refused, just like Harry expected him to. He glanced up at Neville who nodded at him pleadingly. Harry stood again and released his hold of Moody's magic letting it flow back into the man's body. Instantly blood rushed back to the man's face which had been as pale as Draco Malfoy's. "Shall we take seats and we can discuss matters like civilised beings rather than _Wizards_?" Harry spat the last word and even Warren seemed shocked by his vehemence.

Harry waited until Neville had cajoled Moody into his seat before he and Warren rather awkwardly slipped into their own seats having to adjust the set of their wings to accommodate the backs of the hard chairs.

"Harry?" Neville almost squeaked, showing the shy boy that Harry had known under the stronger just-out-of-training Auror that Harry had so far assessed. "Is that really you?"

"Of course it's me, Neville." Harry chuckled ironically. "If I was any one else then you two and those two idiots down the hall would already have been handed over to the American Ministry for Magic and probably locked up in their prison in Alaska with life sentences by now."

Neville frowned. "We were only here to retrieve the captured Aurors."

"Is that true, Moody?" Harry asked directing his attention to the scowling Ex-Auror. The man nodded bluntly. "In that case then, you two can return to England with an international slap on the wrist."

"We can't leave without the Aurors. It's our orders." Neville pointed out obviously hoping that Harry would just hand them over.

"Trust me Neville. You don't want to have anything to do with them." Harry told his old friend truthfully. "I fully intend to report them to the Ministry and they'll want answers from England. Especially at the moment."

"Why at the moment?" Moody glared with suspicion.

Harry felt his eyebrows disappear into his hairline in shock and new from the tense jerk from Warren that he was just as surprised. "The mutant-human war?" Harry prompted but just got confused looks from both of them. "You can't be serious!"

"We didn't know the humans tried to get rid of the mutants." Moody grumbled out.

Harry shook his head slowly. "Unbelievable." He turned to Warren. "This is why I couldn't stay there. They're all close-minded, self obsessed, power hungry…" He trailed off as Warren gripped his hand beneath the table to calm him down. "Do you even know what Mutants are?"

"Mutated humans." Moody grunted.

"Evolved humans." Warren corrected with a glare. He was beginning to get annoyed at these Wizards.

"It's already been proven that Mutants could be the end of Wizards." Moody told them as if that summed up everything. "Mutant Powers and Magic cannot coexist."

"How do you know that?" Harry asked sceptically.

"They researched it in the Department of Mysteries after you escaped." Moody told him.

"After I escaped!? They tried to have me arrested for saving their lives!" Harry spat and almost stood before he realised what they must have done to discover this. A sick feeling sent him back into his seat. "What did they do?"

Moody just shrugged but it was obvious that he had at least a vague idea. Harry leaned forwards. "How many mutants did they experiment on?" Harry watched with satisfaction as Neville went slightly pale and he knew that he had the right idea. Harry was nothing but disgusted. "Why were the Aurors sent here? What did the Ministry hope to find?"

Neville and Moody both refused to answer. Harry just shook his head in irritation. "Look, you can either tell me and I let the two of you walk out of here or I can have you shipped off to Alaska for the rest of your lives."

Neville glanced sideways at Moody worriedly but caved in the end. "They were told to find something to incriminate you so that they could pressure the Americans into arresting you." Harry had already worked this out but it was good to know that he was right and that the Americans were not caving in to the British Ministry's demands even if the British force was the greater. They wouldn't risk moving against somebody with Harry's political power or fame. It would force a split in the community with not only the Wizards but with Humans and Mutants also.

Harry stood and Warren rose with him and headed towards the door. "I'm only letting you two go because we used to be friends Neville and because you, Moody, are renowned for killing Dark Wizards but I swear if I see you, or any Aurors, sneaking into any of my buildings again then you'll rot for eternity." Harry sent them a dark look. "I've finished with the Wizarding World. I killed the Dark Lord you created and you repaid me by trying to lock me away for something I can't control. You saw what I did to your magic Moody; I can do it to any Wizard just like I did it to Voldemort. I never want to see any of you again."

With that Harry span and walked out letting Warren pick up the discarded Wand from the floor. He let the electronic door shut and the lock clicked before he spoke to the two guards. "Put these two on a plane to London Heathrow, courtesy of Bennett Inc." Harry chuckled. "See that they get on the plane. They can't apparate from a plane, even with a Wand." The two wizened guards nodded and turned around to collect the restraints needed and soon disappeared.

Harry leaned into Warren and buried his head into his boyfriend's chest. Warren brought his wings around to encase Harry and wrapped his arms around him. Harry sighed before mumbling out. "You got the wand?"

"Sure."

"I want to test it." Harry told him.

"Why?" Warren frowned as he looked down at his boyfriends upturned face.

"I think I turned it into a wooden stick when I touched it." Harry explained about protection spells on wands and the fact that they all had magic in their core. Warren chuckled lightly before releasing Harry and then followed him to the elevator and up to his office for dinner.

The tests were done before they had finished eating. The two Wizards that worked for security in the building, maintaining the Anti-transport wards and anti-magic sensors had done everything they could to the wand and found it as useless as a focus as a twig. They even brought a crystal that they charged up with their own magic and as soon as Harry touched it the magic was drained from it though he had to disperse it rather than absorb it like he had with the Stunner.

"What now?" Warren asked as one of the catering staff removed their plates from their chicken and pasta dinner.

"I have to talk to the President and get something done about the Aurors." Harry told them.

"You're serious about getting them sent to Alaska?" Warren was shocked having thought Harry was more forgiving than that.

"Nah." Harry laughed at his boyfriend. "The American Ministry will send them back to England to try to placate them. It's the easiest thing to do politically."

"Why not just send them back yourself then?"

"Because the public already know of the break in, they'll expect me to do something and I can't make it look like I am trying to cover anything up." Harry explained. "I'll talk to the President and get him to talk to the Ministry of Magic."

Warren gave him a devilish grin. "While you're doing that, do you mind if I give my father a call? I haven't spoken to him in quite some time."

"Of course." Harry grinned at him happily, he'd been bugging Warren for days to call his father and smooth things over between them properly. "Use my one in here; I'll use the conference phone in the board room." With that Harry left the room in search of Rudolph so that the man could accompany him in upsetting the world's politics again.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

End Chapter


	12. Shattering the borders

Wings of an Angel

Chapter 12; Shattering the borders

****

Loki Research Facility

Harry looked down out of the helicopters window at the sprawling low level buildings in the militarised research facility that he owned. It made up almost thirty percent of Bennett Inc.'s research and development capacity. The Nevada desert spread out in all directions and only one road was visible stretching from the front gates across the dry sands towards civilisation beyond the hills.

The facility was made up of only six buildings but Harry knew that they didn't have anything but living quarters and administration within them. The research labs and storage depots were all at least five stories underground.

"We're setting her down now, Sir!" The co-pilot yelled back to him. Harry had forgone the usual habit of wearing the headphones in favour of being able to daydream and admire then passing scenery. Aleti sat at his side but Warren was off with his father to try to make some permanent repairs to their relationship and officially to combine Worthington Labs with Bennett Inc.'s fourth section; It's R&D division which Harry had gracefully allowed Warren's father to become a Director of. It was the best way to incorporate the two companies with the least of troubles.

Harry had been worried that his relationship with Warren would become tense with his taking over of Worthington Labs but luckily Warren had known it was the only way for his family business to survive. If Harry had sat on the side lines then Worthington Labs would have fallen into financial ruin after the attack on Alcatraz Island but Bennett Inc.'s take over had prevented Warren's family from going bankrupt and provided Warren and his father with a definite future, something that both men were grateful for.

"Now if only I was sure about my future." Harry didn't realise that he had said it aloud until Aleti questioned him on what he had said. "Nothing, Aleti." Harry shrugged it off just as the helicopter came to a halt on the Helipad with a soft thud.

A group of men stood at the edge of the pad waiting for them and Harry moved over to them with a confident stride. He was wearing his leather jacket and his Wings were hidden under the enchanted material. A research lab really wasn't the place for a wingspan.

"Mr. Bennett!" The eldest of the men, a man in his fifties, greeted him. "It's a honour to finally have your presence here."

"It's a pleasure to finally be here." Harry nodded to them all individually as he followed the hyperactive group into the nearest building.

"My name is Roger Grupert. Would you like a tour first or would you like to get straight to the highlight?" The older man asked in a rushed breath.

"I think a quick tour wouldn't be out of the question though I've read all about most of the project here." Harry told them. "Just a few projects will suffice. You can choose whichever you are more proud of."

They all looked relieved and Harry knew that they had been worried that some of the projects weren't at a stage where they were particularly impressive. Harry followed the men around for almost two hours studying different labs and their projects. From renewable energy sources to combining magic and technology. Harry saw everything they wanted to show him and he was very impressed with it all and didn't mind telling them as such every time they wanted his opinion.

He made sure that everyone from the highest scientist to the lowest paid janitor heard his approval of every point of the facility and the tone of the general staff rose throughout the day. There was never better than a pleased owner when it came to raising moral and productivity in places like this.

"This is the reason for your visit, Sir." Roger introduced as he came to a locked door with the normal tri-key and hand scanner security. This one however also had a retinal scanner built into it. "As you know it was only commissioned when you asked for it but we here at Loki are very impressed with the speed it has reached a productive stage."

"Do we have a working prototype?" Harry asked as they walked into the room. A half dozen scientists stopped their working and stood to listen to the newly entered group.

"Yes, Sir." Roger said. "I'll let Dr. Katvi explain better."

A rather short man with a limp made his way over with a stern face. "The projects finished and I've been saying it for two days now!" The man told Harry directly with a stern look at Roger. Harry repressed a chuckle. He liked men who didn't work to impress him, it showed that they were rightly confident of their own worth.

"We had to ensure that they worked in practical situations." Roger explained with a clipped tone.

"Thank you, Gentlemen." Harry spoke up to cut Dr. Katvi off from starting an argument. "How about you tell me about it, Doctor?"

"Mr. Bennett, what we have here is to large scale suppressors." Katvi told him as he limped over to two tables with two metal cuboids on them. Each device was four foot long and three foot high but only half a foot deep. They were both connected to numerous wires reaching away to several computer consoles. "Of course they are both off at the moment because you are here but they have both been running perfectly for fifty hours now."

"How do they work?" Harry asked as he moved towards them, knowing they were off made him slightly more confident.

"Both work in similar ways to the DNA you provided for us. Using yours and Maria's leeching ability we were able to create an electrical frequency similar to an Electro-magnetic Pulse that will prevent any magic from being able to manifest themselves but without effecting electricity based technologies." Dr. Katvi lectured as he moved to stand by the right hand device. "Jimmy's DNA was slightly harder to harness but we were able to mimic the mutant gene suppressing effect that he constantly has. In fact duplicating Worthington's work on a large scale without the drug was the easy part. Making it temporary was the time consuming part."

"So with these both running any mutant within range loses their abilities and nothing magical can work?" Harry asked. "That includes wards and spells?"

"Yes Sir." Katvi told him. "To both questions. No Wizard or Witch will be able to draw upon their core when within two hundred metres of the anti-magic device whilst mutants will lose their abilities within the same radius of the leeching device."

"What are they called?" Harry asked. "I'll need a formal name to report to the president and the public. I don't want a war like when Worthington did this."

Katvi nodded with satisfaction. "The Anti-Magic device was called the RAMP or Radial Anti-Magic Pulse and the Anti-mutant device was named the MGSW or Mutant Gene Suppression Wave."

"Good work people. Doctor Katvi I want to know exactly when you feel that these can reliably be replicated and when we can install them in our facilities." Harry told him.

"Yes Sir." Dcotr Katvi told him with a nod. Harry was surprised that he had been called Sir by the rather abrupt man. "If you'll come into my office we'll discuss the spin-off from this project."

Harry nodded and followed them man into a windowless office completely full of clutter. "I'm the only one that worked on these so nobody else really knows of their effect." Doctor Katvi informed him passed to bracers to him. They were obviously designed to fit over the top of somebody's forearm with straps to hold it to them. Again there were two of them.

"I tested these with the DNA samples you supplied and as far as I know they will work for Jimmy and Maria with little effort." Katvi looked at him without expression. "Your DNA however didn't react as hoped. "Your magic will simply replicate the leeching effect of your mutant powers and you would still lose your wings whenever you wore it."

Harry sighed, he'd known that Jimmy and Maria would be happy to have their abilities blocked but he'd known that to lose his leeching abilities would mean the loss of his wings and if he did that then he'd lose the muscles there too. With Maria and Jimmy they could simply deactivate the bracers to regain control but Harry would end up having to go through his exercises every time he turned it off and that really wasn't an option. "Do they have a radius?"

Katvi shook his head. "They work by passing a static pulse into whatever they touch. It will only effect the first person they touch so contact with them isn't a problem and they can be switched on and off easily enough. They'll need recharging every seventy-two hours for three hours but any normal electrical output can do that."

"Is there spare batteries?" Harry asked as he picked up the to bracers inside velvet lined boxes.

"Under the lining." Katvi told him with a nod, "I really am sorry I couldn't do anything for you. I'm trying to isolate the two gene sequences from your DNA but it could take a lifetime and even if I found a way to simply block your leeching ability without taking your wings then your magic would just fill the role."

"That's ok, Doctor, don't waste your time on fruitless endeavours. Your expertise is far better used elsewhere. Besides Aleti wouldn't be happy if I blocked my main defence." Harry smiled down at the man as he placed both boxes into the inside of his jacket. "I want two of each of the RAMP and MGSW sent to Head Office as soon as possible and then I want something rigged up here as soon as possible. I'm putting you directly in charge of that since you know how they will effect the labs the best out of everyone else here."

"Sure thing." Katvi told him. "Tell your friends that I was glad to help out."

"I will do." Harry nodded and quickly made his leave. It was still a half hour before he managed to get back to the Helicopter and on his way to the airfield but it was a morning well spent.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

****

Xavier's School for Gifted Children

Harry slid out of the BMW and flapped his wings a few times to get the kinks out of them from sitting in the car for too long before he pulled them in and pulled his leather jacket over the top. He wandered up the steps and into the school with a smile on his face. This place reminded him of Hogwarts before the bad memories had overcome the good. Even with the bad memories though Harry still felt love for the school itself even if he wasn't too sure about the occupants.

One of his missions after smoothing things over in the mundane and mutant worlds was the branch over into the Magical one. Things didn't normally work out that well though and he knew he'd have to do something about the Magical World soon.

"Harry!" Ororo greeted him at the door. "The Professor said you were on the way."

"Did he really?" Harry chuckled. "He's not someone I'll be able to surprise then?"

Ororo smiled at him before leading him inside and up to the Professors office where he found Logan and Hank McCoy sitting with a man that he didn't recognise. "You must be Professor Charles Xavier then?" Harry asked with a smile.

The man stood from behind the desk rather unsteadily and cross the room with an outstretched hand. Harry smiled at him sadly before shoving his naked hands behind his back. The man hesitated before lowering his hands. "I'm sorry, I forgot about your powers. I've had a lot to take in over the last few days. I'm Charles Xavier."

"It's an honour to finally meet you, Professor. I'm Harry Bennett. I apologise for my rudeness but I overlooked the need to greet somebody and left my gloves in the plane." Harry shook his head slightly to clear it before realising what he was feeling. "You are giving me a headache, Professor Xavier." He told the man simply.

"I do apologise, I'm simply too used to using them without people complaining." The telepath told him.

"It's ok, I can sense peoples abilities because of my leeching in the same way that I imagine Maria can but the close proximity of your abilities is tempting my own into draining them." Harry gave him a smile to show that he didn't really mind. "I'll ask you not to pry unnecessarily though. I have secrets that I would prefer to keep."

"That I can understand but I'm afraid I have already been told the gist of the Wizarding World and myself and my teachers have already agreed that we should be concerned about our future when it comes to them." The man told him with a sad smile.

"I agree, I'm already taking measures and for my company the war has already begun. They have already tried to break into my Head Office twice without success but they wont be able to use magic to accomplish that for long." Harry smiled a true smile. "Which brings me to the reason for my visit."

"And that would be?" Logan growled out.

"Logan!" Ororo gasped at his rude tone.

"I don't like all of this political politeness, just get to the point!" Logan grumbled out though he gave the Professor a respectful nod in apology.

"Fair enough." Harry interrupted any further admonishment from the weather manipulator. "My scientists have successfully built and tested two pieces of technology. One nullifies any Magic in a given area whilst the other does the same to mutant abilities. Very much like Jimmy does around him."

They all looked at him with concerned looks so he continued. "The effect is identical to Jimmy's abilities. As soon as the mutant leaves the area they regain their abilities and I intend to only use them where necessary. For instance anti-magical devices in my facilities, in the Whitehouse, in my Office and in this school and Anti-mutant devices in my facilities and the Whitehouse."

"Why not in your offices?" Hank asked him.

"Warren and I are different to you." Harry told them. "When faced with the Anti-mutant device you will lose your fur and strength, your mind reading abilities, your ability to heal or your control over the weather but we would lose our wings. We had to train and build our muscles and learn to fly with them. If we lost the wings we would have to start again with months of training."

"Oh." Hank muttered.

"I'm actually glad you are here Doctor McCoy. I figure that you would be the best person to help me discuss this with the White House and also to be with me when we introduce this to the Mutant world." Harry told them blue furred man.

"How can you be sure this wont just be a replay of when Worthington announced his drug?" Ororo asked.

It was the Professor that spoke up. "Mr. Bennett and Hank would be announcing it from the position of two mutants looking to better this world. The mutants would most likely back them. I've heard the thoughts of the population and support for Bennett Inc. is rapidly growing among both humans and mutants."

"That's good to hear." Harry chuckled. "Now I have another more personal and much happier reason for being here. I've been looking forward to this for weeks. Can I please be taken to Jimmy and Maria?"

"Sure, Harry. Follow me." Ororo told him.

"They are both out in the gardens." The Professor told him with a chuckle, he'd obviously found out from a glimpse into his mind what the surprise was.

Ororo led Harry out into the bright winter sun and even though it was chilly it was still warm enough to enjoy the light. Harry shrugged off his jacket and let his wings flap slightly before he folded them in to his back and gestured for Ororo to lead the way as he hung the jacket over his arm so that he could still get to the boxes without showing anyone the jackets more magical abilities.

"Harry!" Maria leapt up from the ground and jumped into a hug with Harry that shocked him. He gave Bobby and Ronnie a smile and was glad that Bobby wasn't glaring at him like he had when Maria had discovered that she could touch Harry when they had been in Bennett Aeronautics' office building. Harry returned the hug to placate her before pulling back.

"Hi everyone." Harry greeted. "Where's Jimmy?"

"Over there playing near the lake." Ronnie told him from his place on the grass.

"It's ok, Harry. You stay here and catch up and I'll go get him." Ororo assured him before striding confidently away through the children in the direction of the lake.

"What are you doing here?" Bobby asked him not unkindly.

"Just thought I would pay everyone a visit since it's been almost two weeks since I was last here." Harry shrugged leaving out his real reason. He chatted to the three of them for a time and eventually Ororo came back with a happy Jimmy in tow. Harry was glad to see that the boy had slightly tanned skin and spiky hair growing. His pale look in the lab hadn't done the by justice. Harry let Jimmy hug him knowing that his leeching ability didn't work on Jimmy's nullifying ability and Harry's magic blocked Jimmy's.

"Right down to the real reason I'm here!" Harry grinned at an annoyed Bobby who had evidently seen through Harry's excuse. "I have a gift for Jimmy and Maria. Sorry boys, I didn't get anything for either of you." Harry directed the last bit to Bobby and Ronnie who didn't seem to care in the least.

"What is it?" Jimmy asked him hyperactively.

"You." Harry told the young boy with a smile. Jimmy frowned up at him. "Actually its an artificial version of you."

"You managed it then?" Bobby asked with a shocked look on his face.

"In all fairness I didn't." Harry told him. "But having over five thousand of the worlds best scientists and doctors working for you does have its advantages."

"What are you two talking about?" Maria asked with a light glare.

"As you might be aware, Maria, you cant touch anyone because you drain their life and abilities, much as I do." Harry lectured to the girl who nodded to him morosely. "And you, Jimmy, have the unfortunate habit of taking away other's abilities which I think gets rather annoying."

"But your immune to both of us." Jimmy put in as if trying to speed up the explanation.

"That's because Maria's ability recognises that it is pointless to drain mine and another part of me protects me from Jimmy's." Harry told everyone.

"What other part of you?" Ronnie asked as he stood up from the ground to join the others.

"We're getting off topic." Harry dodged the question expertly. "Now, I give you the answer to your problems, and everyone else's." Harry added the last bit in an aside as he looked directly at Bobby.

He pulled the two boxes from inside his folded jacket and presented them to Jimmy and Maria. "What was it that Worthington said? 'I give you the answer to mutation.' And this one wont start a war. This is how it should have been done all along and would have if Jimmy had been taken in by Bennett Inc."

"What are they?" Jimmy asked as he pulled the silver bracer out of the velvet lined box. Harry stepped up to him and gently passed the almost empty box to Ororo before taking the Bracer from Jimmy. He grabbed the boys hand and laid it over the top of his arm before fastening it tightly. He flipped the switch that was inset near the top and their was a sharp whine before it went silent. Harry let go of it rather rapidly, he didn't want the chance that it would effect him.

Harry turned to Maria and showed her how to switch it on. "What does it do?" She asked him. In response Harry grabbed Bobby's hand and before either could react it placed it on her arm. Everyone gasped in panic before they all realised that nothing had happened.

"While you wear these and they are on your abilities are neutralised just as if Jimmy was always close to you. They even removed Jimmy's own ability." Harry explained. Bobby was staring at where his hand was touching Maria's arm and Maria's eyes were looking rather damp.

"How do we know that mine works?" Jimmy asked. Ororo obviously decided to test it and placed a hand on Jimmy's shoulder so there was no doubt that his ability should have neutralised hers. Her eyes glowed white as everybody watched and suddenly clouds blotted out the sky for a few seconds before fading away. Jimmy beamed.

"Be careful with them though. Where as they wont effect anyone _you _touch they will effect anyone that touches them directly." Harry warned them. "You can switch them on and off at will but bare in mind that they will drain. Each box has two spare batteries capable of lasting fifty hours and then you'll need to recharge them but bare in mind both of you that your abilities are still a part of you and you shouldn't lock them up indefinitely."

"Oh my God," Maria gasped. "How are we supposed to thank you?"

"You not supposed to." Harry told them seriously even as Jimmy latched onto his waist. Harry shrugged. "Just enjoy yourself while you can."

"What's that mean?" Bobby asked him with a confused look.

Harry lost his small smile as he received a nod from Ororo. "There are three worlds on this planet. The human and the Mutant you already know of, the third you don't. We've just lived through a war between the human and the mutant world but even though that's only just behind us we are now on the verge of a much more dangerous war between this world and the third. A war that I am already in the middle of."

"What?" Maria asked him. "I don't understand."

"Keep an eye on the news, you'll see soon enough." Harry explained. "We have a way to defend ourselves from them now, thanks in part to these devices and even though I wish this war wouldn't happen it is already on the cusp of happening."

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

****

Bennett Inc. conference room

Harry glanced out of the window as a large truck disappeared into the delivery bay in the south wing of the complex. The anti-magic devices had just arrived. The whole complex would be completely covered in them in such a way that no inch of the grounds would be accessible via magical means. His two Wizards theorised however that since port-keys and apparition used magic only on removal from an area there would be no way to prevent Wizards and Witches from entering since the main wards would be useless as long as the devices were active.

Harry turned back to the conference table and nodded to the entire board of directors that had gathered for this meeting. It had been a week since he had visited the school and Warren had yet to return from being with his father and he was tired and lonely. Especially since there had been two rather magical attempts on his life in the last three days including a rather public attempt during a press conference about the official recombining of Bennett assets and the American Military.

The news channels were still playing that film in the worlds largest display of public magic in six centuries and Harry was only glad that the display could be explained away as mutant powers. Harry had been glad that the newly formed 'Advanced Police Force' or APF for short had been there to publicly save him even if his abilities would have nullified the magic instantly. It had been a good first week for Bennett Inc.'s newly formed mutant police.

"Are we ready to do this?" Rudolph asked a little uncertainly.

"We have to be." Harry sighed. "I know the President is on his last string of sanity when it comes to the British Wizards and he'll want to know we will back him up if this turns into a war."

"Agreed." Rudolph nodded before tapping the control tab in the middle of the table to switch on the conference screen that took up one end of the table. Harry stayed standing behind his own chair at the furthest end of the table as the President's face appeared on the screen as well as several other faces along with Hank McCoy and what looked like a Wizard wearing formal dress robes. "Greetings Mr. President."

The President looked towards the Wizard and spoke with a sideways nod at the screen. "Mr. Gentry, this is the Board of Directors at Bennett Incorporated. Good afternoon everyone." He said with a nod at the screen.

"Mr. Gentry." Harry nodded a greeting. "I assume you are a member of the American Ministry and not the British." There was a less that subtle threat in his words.

"No reason to worry yourself Mr….ah…Bennett." Mr. Gentry told him. "I'm the Ambassador to the American Government for the American Ministry. I have no allegiance to the British community."

"Good, we can continue this discussion then." Harry nodded with a twitch of his wings. "The British magical community has been pressing its limits ever since they tried to arrest me on make believe charges. Now they have stepped over the limit. Their attempt on my life is the last straw for us. We have already relocated all of our magical businesses in Britain to foreign countries and the Gringotts' goblins have agreed to shut their doors to the British Wizards in favour of losing our partnership."

"What is your next move?" The President asked. "Why did you want to speak to us so urgently?"

"We have decided to tell the public of this new threat. The Wizards intend to exterminate the mutant population and we can allow this to happen without the mutants being aware of it." Harry told them seriously. "The Wizards and human governments hid the magical secret whilst thousands of humans were being tortured and slaughtered during Tom Riddles attacks. I wont let that happen again, not when the mutants have the ability to work together and defend themselves."

"I'm sorry, are you planning to breech the secrecy laws?" Mr. Gentry asked with a shocked look.

"Mr. Gentry, British Aurors have attempted to murder somebody on American soil in front of millions of humans. They are planning the mass extermination of millions and you are concerned about secrecy." Harry snarled. "We are not governed by your laws since none of us are Wizards. We are an older establishment then the current human administration and the current American Ministry combined. We will announce the existence of the Wizarding Worlds to the general public on Friday Afternoon at Four O'clock. You have until then to decide whether you wish to stand beside us during the press conference or whether you want to just accept the fall out that comes from it."

There was a stunned silence from both rooms before the President gave him a shaky nod before cutting the connection. "Well that was interesting." One of his directors muttered though Harry didn't bother to find out which one.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

****

Bennett Inc. Memorial Wall Sanctum; Friday 4pm

Harry smiled a sad smile at the arching mirror panels that lined the horseshoe inclosure that made up the Mirror Memorial Sanctum. It was a small recess about ten metres wide at the entrance before it opened up into a circle about fifty metres wide and forty metres deep. The shape of the entrance as well as purposely built blockades made the Sanctum one of Washington DC's quietest public spaces.

Many people used it to sit in respective silence and all held to the simple rule that once inside that space you respected over peoples privacy and their reasons for being there. People used it to remember their own loved ones as they stared at the flitting shadows and rainbow effects created by the ever moving mirrors. Even now the wall was lined with bouquets of flowers and photos of lost loved ones and they were never moved by Bennett Inc. until they were decayed to such a point that they attracted pests.

For it famous reputation and its authority that demanded respect Harry had chosen it for what was going to be the most important press conference of the newly entered twenty-first century. He stood on a podium at the deepest end of the Sanctum and the space was filled with reporters and VIPs whilst the road beyond was closed off to traffic and the crowds stretched all the way back to the Reflecting Pool and beyond.

He hadn't hidden his Wings like he did in most of his Press conferences and this more than anything told the reporters that what he planned to speak about had something, at least in part, to do with the Mutant population. He tended to hid them when he spoke of Bennett Inc. only.

He twitched his wings slightly and the slight movement pulled everybody's attention to the only person in the area that was still actually a child, emancipated and owner of the world's largest company or not. He smiled down at the reporters before beginning.

"Welcome to the Memorial Wall Sanctum. This is the first time we at Bennett Incorporated have used this place of remembrance to speak to the world through the chosen through but I believe in my heart that this is a conference that my parents would never wish to miss and by the end of his conference I hope to have the truth of my parents murders and my own absence explained to you all." A mutter washed through the crowd and cameras flashed.

Harry glanced to his side at the assembled men thus far hidden from the reporters view by one of the banks of roses that helped to give people their needed solitude. He raised his hand up to call somebody forwards before turning back to the audience. "The information I will shortly disclose to you is backed by the United States of America's current administration and I have with me today several important guests. May I present to you the President of the United States of America." There was polite applause for a while as the man came to stand beside Harry though Harry didn't yield the podium to him. It had already been decided that this was Harry's task. "Also with me today is Doctor Hank McCoy, our new ambassador to the Mutant population for the United States and Ambassador Gentry." The blue furred mutant came out to stand on Harry's other side as did the Wizarding Ambassador. The was a smattering of whispers as people took in the fact that Harry had only said that the third man was an Ambassador and not what he was the representative of.

"This will take time and I know this is being broadcast live by many news casters including CNN so I will try to be a clear and succinct as possible and I must ask that question wait until the end as usual." Harry paused to gather himself, he again wished that Warren had been able to stand beside him, but he was standing on the roof of his head office behind him so Harry couldn't use him as an excuse to chicken out of this conference.

"Human kind has always strived to discover the truth and whereas this has sometimes caused conflict it has also brought us prosperity. Evolution has given the human race powers beyond what we are used to and even though we call these evolved humans, mutants and class them as a different race their genetic variance is only slightly more than the difference between races." Harry started. "Bennett Inc. has always supported any action that will bring every faction of humanity together so I am standing before you now to tell you of a third, larger branch of our history, one far older and far more secret to you than even the most shy Mutant."

Harry again waited for the muttering to calm down before continuing. "We have all be told stories as children about monsters under the bed, ghosts haunting houses, fairies, elves and magic and like most myths there is a layer of truth to these all." Harry paused for effect. "Thousands of years ago our two branches lived together in harmony until we pushed them aside for the more substantial art of science. We persecuted them and they hid but now their reason to hide has passed. It is time we come together to overcome our obstacles."

"I am of course talking of Witchcraft, Wizardry and Magic in general." Harry was forced to pause for the eruption of sound that spread through the thousands of people. He raised his hands and slowly the noise abated. "Is it so hard to believe that I speak the truth. You see Mutant Powers that have what seems to be magical effects. There is a boy who can create ice from the moisture in air, a girl who can phase through walls like a ghost, mutants who can teleport or move faster than the eye can see. Wizards and Witches have a core of energy that they call magic that they can manipulate to do what they want."

The crowd probably would have simply taken it as a hoax except for the fact that Harry had yet to mislead them in any matter and also because the President of the United States stood at his shoulder and hadn't reacted at the news. "I am at this moment breaking one of their primary and most important laws. Telling non-magical citizens without clearance about the Magical World is punishable by memory wiping and banishment. I tell you this now because I believe that every citizen on Earth must be warned of the threat that certain members of their community pose."

"How do I know of Magic?" Harry asked after another pause to let the previous information to sink in. "My parents were Magical as was my father's family back to the tenth century and before. I was born a Wizard and even though I was raised in a non-magical setting I was taken to be trained as a Wizard until my Mutant Genes took president. This brings me to the reason for this divulgence of a secret that the American Government has been forced to keep for centuries. The Mutant Gene and the Magical Energy Core are not compatible in more that a few cases and due to this the Wizards and Witches see the mutants as a threat."

"A Mutant Group combined with this administrations over zealous desire to control the Mutant population with the wrong means has already driven us to a war which cost both sides greatly but we were all human enough to overcome that difference and now stand of the verge of a historical event that will lead this worlds population into a new ages of peace and prosperity." Harry smiled warmly as if picturing this future which wasn't too far from the truth. It was what he hoped to use Bennett Inc. to achieve. "I will not lie to you, I will not smoother the truth like people have done in the past to stall panic. We have lived through a war of the unbelievable and now I ask that you be ready to face another, greater battle."

"The British Magical Community are the people that exiled me for becoming a mutant even after my new ability killed a terrorist that had murdered over a thousand people, both Wizard and human alike. The same twisted Wizard that murdered my parents." Harry paused and glanced at the mirrors and the audience gave him is moment of peace and waited for him to continue. "It has recently come to my attention that the World's largest and most powerful country of Wizards, the British Magical Community, has run immoral tests on mutants to prove that a Wizarding Core is destroyed if it's host is a mutant. What has become of these Mutants is as yet unknown though I wont rest until I find out who they were and honour them as needed. The British Wizards have taken upon itself the task of protectors of the human race and it is inevitable that they will decide to carry this out by eradicating the Mutants just like Adolf Hitler wished to do during the Second World War."

Harry paused as he saw a small group of men standing just outside of the Sanctum in the first line of public spectators, they had been getting increasingly nervous throughout his speech and had actually bristled at this comparison of the Wizarding World to the World's worst tyrant. British Wizards.

"Last week all those watching my press conference saw a red energy beam targeting me. While most believed this to be a mutant attack it was in fact a magical one and only one of the four attempts at interrupting Bennett Inc.'s work against them." Harry sighed. "The clock is counting down and the President and Magical Ambassador of America, Mr. Gentry agree with me that the public can no longer be kept in the dark about this threat. We will not be caught out like the Wizards were with their civil war that cost so many innocent people their lives. Times are complicated and difficult at this moment but we will all prove our worth by pulling together, not as separate entities but as a whole force of people that believe in our own freedom to live how we want to in a world that is secure."

Harry paused as the cheers he had hoped to receive spread through the crowd. He wanted them to all see this a threat against them as a whole, he wanted the humans to realise that sacrificing the Mutants wouldn't simply save them and that overcome this threat they would have to work together as a unified body. Harry held his hands up again and had to wait a full two minutes for the silence to spread throughout the crowd.

"The Magical Communities have always worked in secrecy, hiding from us using memory spells and invisibility but their overall dominance is paling against the abilities of the mutants. Mutants that can see through the spells, Mutants that can sense their magic or even drain it from them." Harry told them all. "The American Magical Community have agreed that secrecy is no longer necessary and have pledged their support to aid us in this struggle. They will work to teach communities to recognise and defend themselves against magic. We also have technology that can counteract their spell casting abilities and already the devices are being installed in important buildings across the country."

He paused to let this sink in before toning his upbeat tone slightly. "Do not be taken in lightly by my confidence however. I can defend myself against their attacks through experience and my own abilities however most Mutants and Humans do not have this advantage and even though you will be taught what is needed this fight wont be easy." Harry's eyes swept the crowd before focusing on the four wizards that stood in the front of the crowd forty metres from him. His eyes went cold and his wings flared ever so slightly. "Even now Wizards spy on us." His words were quiet and deadly but with the microphone so close to his mouth his words carried like the wind across the crowd.

Cameras and reporters turned to look at the small group that Harry was looking at and before more than a few pictures could be taken a red obliviate was flying across the sanctum. Harry wondered for an instance what they had hoped to achieve by trying to wipe his memory. Whether they hoped that without him to spur the Mutants and Humans on they would just forget about them or whether they just wanted him brain dead so they had one less problem to face he didn't know.

Harry held up a hand towards the oncoming bolt of magic rather unnecessarily since he didn't need to catch the magic with his hand. The spell hit his hand and faded as he absorbed the magic and held it just outside of his core. He held on to that tendon of magic and watched in satisfaction as the Wizard who had cast the spell panicked even as the crowd gasped in shock and even a few screamed.

With a resounding crack the Wizards apparated away on live camera probably watched by everyone that had a TV and had been told by friends to watch the press conference. He had purposely waited till the last possible moment to 'discover' the wizards so that the largest possible audience would see them. It would be impossible to alter a billion minds who had just watched that event or would watch replays of it for the next week. Harry felt the tendon snap as the Wizard disappeared from the area and he dropped his hands to his side before speaking into the microphone again.

"This is not a fight that we will shy from, it is not a fight we will lose. It is not a fight we can _afford_ to lose." He didn't realise in that moment that he had the respectful silence of almost a fifth of the American population. He nodded to them all before stepping back and yielding the podium to more political figures.

In that last moment before he stepped down from the podium he wondered if it was he that had just started a war or the Wizards who had forced him into it.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

End Chapter


End file.
